Current Projects

In collaboration with Dr. Bonnie Klimes-Dougan and the RADLab in the clinical psychology area, we are studying sexual and gender minorities (SGM) and their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the mental health of minority groups, such as SGM, is important to understand any differential mental health responses based on minority status. This current pilot study will help establish a foundation for assessing SGM mental health during the pandemic.

The Minority Stress Model (Meyer, 2003) theorizes that sexual orientation concealment and disclosure are key mediating mechanisms between experiences of distal stress and various outcomes among sexual minorities. Our lab is in the process of reviewing over 8,000 abstracts, which are being screened for inclusion in a meta-analysis that examines the correlates of both sexual orientation concealment and disclosure.

In a collaborative project with Dr. Richard Lee of the counseling psychology area, we have been surveying faculty, staff, and students at the University of Minnesota since March 2020, to understand their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is broad and includes questions ranging from perceptions of how serious COVID-19 is to the experience of racial discrimination during the pandemic. Our survey continues to evolve based on the trajectory of the pandemic and current events. As of February 2021, we have collected data at four time points and will continue with data collection for the foreseeable future.