BROWN BAG SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP MEETING I: FOSTERING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AMONG LGBT POPULATIONS

There has been increased attention to the health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT; IOM, 2011) who constitute anywhere from 3% to 10% of the US population (Gates, 2015). The National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities recently broadened its definition of health disparity populations beyond race, ethnicity, immigrant status, disability, sex, gender, or geography, to include sexual and gender minorities (Pérez-Stable, 2016). For example, LGBT status has been associated with disproportionate rates of suicidality (Ruble & Forstein, 2008) and substance abuse (McCabe et al, 2009). Despite a growing literature documenting these disparities, the research conceptualizing and implementing LGBT-specific prevention and preventive intervention efforts have lagged. We propose a SIG to convene a group of prevention scholars working or interested in the areas of LGBT health and wellbeing to discuss how to bolster prevention research and implementation in ways that seek to eradicate LGBT health disparities.