Skip to main content
ABCT 2025 59th Annual Convention Main banner
Psychology Tools Ad
Final Program


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Evaluation ViewAttendees 2

Suicide and Self-Injury
Session Type:: Symposia

Symposium 76 - Daily Life Research on Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors among LGBTQ+ Individuals: Towards Understanding Momentary Mechanisms in a High-Risk Population

Sunday, November 23, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM CST
Location: Strand 13A&B, Level 2
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Suicide, Self-Injury, LGBTQ+
Level of Familiarity: Advanced
Recommended Readings: Testa, R. J., Michaels, M. S., Bliss, W., Rogers, M. L., Balsam, K. F., & Joiner, T. (2017). Suicidal ideation in transgender people: Gender minority stress and interpersonal theory factors. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126(1), 125.,   Nicholas, J., & Bresin, K. (2024). Everyday sexual and gender minority stress and health: A systematic review of experience sampling studies. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 53(4), 1221-1243.,   Kohnepoushi, P., Nikouei, M., Cheraghi, M., Hasanabadi, P., Rahmani, H., Moradi, M., ... & Moradi, Y. (2023). Prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts in the transgender population of the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of General Psychiatry, 22(1), 28.,   Mereish, E. H., Peters, J. R., Brick, L. A., Killam, M. A., & Yen, S. (2023). A daily diary study of minority stressors, suicidal ideation, nonsuicidal self-injury ideation, and affective mechanisms among sexual and gender minority youth. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 132(4), 372.,  

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are at an elevated risk of mental health conditions, including self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs; Haas et al., 2011; Hatchel et al., 2021). Extant research has consistently shown that internal and external stressors associated with one’s sexual or gender identity contribute to the heightened prevalence rates of SITBs and other potentially harmful behaviors (e.g., disordered eating) among LGBTQ+ populations (Testa et al., 2015; Wells et al., 2019). However, much of this research has focused on between-person differences using retrospective self-report surveys. While important, such work precludes us from understanding the momentary mechanisms of SITB risk within people, as these change processes are highly dynamic over a few hours (Kleiman et al., 2017). Modern technology has enabled researchers to explore moment-to-moment variations in daily life risk factors for SITBs, with the goal of informing prevention and intervention approaches for SGM persons.

The current symposium highlights how ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can be leveraged to investigate real-time associations between various minority stressors, trans-specific experiences, and other known risk factors for SITBs over time. The symposium will also incorporate qualitative analyses of participant feedback to ensure that EMA methods are appropriate, feasible, and beneficial to members of marginalized communities.

First, Julia Nicholas will present how daily SGM stress differentially relates to SITBs, finding that among high-risk adults, more severe nonsuicidal self-injury urges and suicidal ideation (SI) co-occurred with higher than usual SGM stress. Next, Gabrielle Ilagan will describe an EMA study of SGM adults assessing general stress, minority stress, and SI. Elevated SI was reported when individuals experienced more than average general stress and proximal (internal) minority stress, with each stressor type uniquely predicting variations in SI. Swanaya Gurjar will then discuss anti-trans news exposure as a unique minority stressor faced by trans* adults with past-week SI. A direct effect of news exposure on later SI at the within level (but not at the between level) was observed, along with an indirect effect through changes in negative affect. Further, Rachel Frietchen will describe time-varying associations between SITBs, eating disorder (ED) symptoms, and body connection/trust in trans* adults. Restriction urges and SI showed significant predictive relationships with themselves and other risk factors, while body trust served as a protective factor against NSSI urges, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between ED symptoms and SITBs over time. Next, Reed Morgan will delve into SGM adults’ experiences of participating in daily life SITB studies. Reflexive thematic analysis identified themes of self-awareness, emotion regulation, and inconvenience; quantitative analyses suggested that most of the sample found participation satisfactory and feasible. Lastly, Dr. Debra Hope, an expert on the impacts of stigma and discrimination on LGBTQ+ mental health, will serve as the discussant, sharing her insights and clinical implications of the presented work as well as areas for future research.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe general and LGBTQ+ specific stressors that influence near-term self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in daily life.
  2. Identify time-varying associations between SITBs and eating disorder symptoms among trans* adults.
  3. Highlight LGBTQ+ participant perspectives on utilizing EMA in assessing SITBs.
  4. Discuss potential pathways of integrating findings in LGBTQ+ affirming clinical care for intervention and prevention.

Presentations:

  • 2:05 PM - 2:22 PM CST
    (SYM 76) Sexual and Gender Minority Stressors and Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

    Speaker: Julia Nicholas, M.S. (she/her/hers) – The University of Louisville

    Co-author: Michaela Ahrenholtz, B.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Louisville

    Co-author: MacKenzie Bewley, B.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Louisville

    Co-author: Konrad Bresin, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – University of Louisville

  • 2:22 PM - 2:39 PM CST
    (SYM 76) Within-person Changes in General Stress and Minority Stress Predict Same-day Suicidal Ideation

    Speaker: Gabrielle S. Ilagan, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Fordham University

    Co-author: Christopher C. Conway, Ph.D. – Fordham University

  • 2:39 PM - 2:56 PM CST
    (SYM 76) Harmful Narratives: The Effects of Anti-trans News on Suicidal Ideation Among Gender Diverse Adults in Daily Life

    Speaker: Swanaya Gurjar, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Texas Tech University

    Co-author: Sarah E. Victor, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Texas Tech University

  • 2:56 PM - 3:13 PM CST
    (SYM 76) Time-varying Associations Between Interoception, Eating Disorder Symptoms, and Self-injurious Thoughts in Transgender or Gender Expansive Adults with an Eating Disorder

    Speaker: Rachel Frietchen, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Auburn University

    Co-author: Rachel Frietchen, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Auburn University

    Co-author: Lauren Harris, Ph.D. – Auburn University

    Co-author: Rylee Lusich, B.A. – Auburn University

    Co-author: Marley Billman Miller, M.S. – Auburn University

    Co-author: Amanda C. Collins, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States

    Co-author: Matthew D. Nemesure, Ph.D. – Digital Data Design Institute, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, United States

    Co-author: Nicholas C. Jacobson, Ph.D. – Dartmouth College

    Co-author: Liz Cash, Ph.D. – University Of Louisville

    Co-author: Cheri A. Levinson, Ph.D. – University of Louisville

    Co-author: April Smith, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Auburn University

  • 3:13 PM - 3:30 PM CST
    (SYM 76) Sexual and Gender Minority Adults' Perspectives on Participating in Self-harm Experience Sampling Research

    Speaker: Reed M. Morgan, B.A. (he/him/his) – Fordham University

    Co-author: Gabrielle S. Ilagan, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Fordham University

    Co-author: Christopher C. Conway, Ph.D. – Fordham University

    Co-author: Emilia Soroko, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Adam Mickiewicz University