# Charting Trajectories of Sexual Identity Development and Mental Health Disparities Among Sexual Minority Youth

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $386,933

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This R01 application responds to the National Institutes of Health Notice of Special Interest in Research on the
Health of Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations (NOT-MD-19-001). Sexual minority youth (SMY)
face a number of mental health disparities, including high rates of depression and suicidality. Sexual minority
identity development includes several key milestones (e.g., becoming aware of non-heterosexual attractions,
questioning one’s sexual orientation, self-identifying as a sexual minority, and coming out to others) that
typically occur during adolescence. Challenging experiences that occur during the sexual identity development
process related to social stigma and stress likely contribute to mental health problems for this population;
however, this area has been understudied and is poorly understood. To address critical gaps and limitations in
this area, this project aims to: (1) Identify common patterns and heterogeneity in sexual identity development
milestones among contemporary SMY; (2) Determine the extent to which sexual identity development relates to
mental health problems (i.e., depression and suicidality) among SMY; and (3) Identify coping strategies and
resources used by SMY to navigate stressful milestone experiences. To accomplish these aims, we will recruit
a diverse sample of 315 SMY who will complete a one-time interview that will include life history calendars,
which is an innovative method used to collect retrospective life-course data. Life history calendars will capture
mixed-methods data about the sexual minority identity development process and mental health problems during
adolescence. Analyses will include descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, regression modeling,
qualitative content analysis, and data visualization techniques. This project will result in (1) a rich and nuanced
understanding of a complex and dynamic developmental process—sexual identity development among
contemporary SMY, (2) identification of which milestones involve distressing experiences for SMY, (3)
understanding why certain milestones are distressing and how these events may be associated with depression
and suicidality, and (4) a framework of coping strategies and resources used by SMY to cope with stress during
identity development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10408813
- **Project number:** 5R01MD015109-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** William James Hall
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $386,933
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-21 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10408813

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10408813, Charting Trajectories of Sexual Identity Development and Mental Health Disparities Among Sexual Minority Youth (5R01MD015109-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10408813. Licensed CC0.

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