# Perinatal Depression in Sexual and Gender Minorities

> **NIH NIH K23** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $132,835

## Abstract

Dr. Leiszle Lapping-Carr is a licensed clinical psychologist and mixed methods researcher with a specialty in
sexual and reproductive health. Through the proposed Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career
Development Award (K23) entitled Perinatal Depression in Sexual and Gender Minorities, she will develop into
an independent researcher working to reduce health disparities for sexual and gender minorities (SGM) during
the perinatal period. Dr. Lapping-Carr will use this award to receive specific training in 1) community-engaged
research with SGM parents; 2) intervention adaptation frameworks and processes for specific populations; 3)
implementation science; and 4) clinical trial design. This focus on intervention adaptation and implementation
with SGM parents will allow her to fill gaps in her training enabling transition into an independent researcher.
Her future research program will be focused on improving mental and reproductive health equity for SGM
individuals through mixed methods, community-engaged research to develop, evaluate, and implement
effective interventions for SGM individuals, as well as broader investigations into the prevalence and
experience of SGM individuals mental health concerns related to reproductive health. Additionally, future work
will include the development of clinician training programs to increase capacity to meet SGM parents’ mental
health needs. Dr. Lapping-Carr will achieve these career goals through a career development plan including
didactic training, mentored research experiences, direct community-based research experience, attendance at
local, national, and international scientific meetings, and utilization of institutional resources. Her outstanding
mentorship team includes Lead Mentor Darius Tandon, PhD and Co-Mentors Lori Ross, PhD (Methodology
and SGM Health), Michael Newcomb, PhD (Community-Based SGM Health), and Katherine Wisner, MD, MS
(Perinatal Psychiatric Disorders). Dr. Lapping-Carr’s research strategy incorporates two distinct studies as part
of applying a systematic intervention adaptation framework that will help her to achieve the training goals
described above. Specific Aim 1 will use qualitative interviews to identify determinants of perinatal wellbeing
among SGM parents and describe experiences with and unmet needs in perinatal mental healthcare. Specific
Aim 2 will involve the incorporation of themes identified through the qualitative study in Aim 1 to adapt an
evidence-based intervention for the prevention of perinatal depression to the needs of SGM parents. Specific
Aim 3 will pilot the adapted intervention to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. With the
experience and results of these studies, Dr. Lapping-Carr will be poised to pursue an R01 grant through
NIMHD to conduct a large-scale clinical trial that examines the efficacy and effectiveness of the adapted
perinatal depression preventative intervention. This focus on community-engaged intervention adapt...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10808644
- **Project number:** 1K23MD018092-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Leiszle Rae Lapping-Carr
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $132,835
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-19 → 2028-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10808644

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10808644, Perinatal Depression in Sexual and Gender Minorities (1K23MD018092-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10808644. Licensed CC0.

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