Heteronormativity in health settings: Realities of LGBT youth's access to healthcare in South Africa

In South Africa, sexual and gender minorities experience a wide array of health inequities and face many difficulties in accessing health services. This is largely due to the general heteronormative-based health system that is not well equipped to meet the needs of those not conforming to "normal" forms of gender and sexuality. In addition, the heteronormative-based approach to LGBT health has rendered the unique needs and experiences of sexual and gender minorities invisible within mainstream health data, systems and policies. Increasing evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened health disparities and this is likely a consequence of existing challenges related to structural violence that persisted prior to its emergence. Given the current structure of South Africa's health system, this chapter examines structural violence in the context of healthcare and draws on in-depth interviews conducted with 12 LGBT students at a university in South Africa. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness on the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity, applying an intersectional lens to the health system to address health inequities and gearing healthcare programs to provide services for all. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Structuring, affirming identities: strategies of LGBT Eurovision fans during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Eurovision Song Contest is subject to virulent criticism from the artistic and intellectual elites. Yet, the defense of individual and collective rights of minorities appears to be a particularly sensitive issue. Commonly (re)named with religious terms such as "gay Pesach" or "gay Christmas", this event is considered as a "structuring experience" of the identity of individuals claiming a different sexual orientation or gender. Recently, the contest has been challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. This article highlights the networking strategies established by LGBT fans of the ESC, in order to structure an identity-based community, as they were unable to attend the contest "in real life". Firstly, I highlight these fans form a subaltern counterpublic that seizes the contest in order to assert a certain number of claims in favor of sexual minorities. Secondly, I analyze the ways in which this counterpublic organized itself online and developed new communal strategies during the pandemic. Finally, I emphasize that this new organization tends to maintain and even strengthen inequalities amongst the ESC LGBT fan community.

Perceived Social Support and Mental Health Indicators of a Mexican LGBT Sample During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic created mental health challenges for LGBTQ + communities worldwide, however there is a paucity of research on Mexican populations. Existing data show that LGBTQ + people in Mexico experience acute forms of violence and discrimination that impact their mental health. This article explores the relationship between social support, discrimination, and mental health for LGBTQ + populations in Mexico (N = 1525) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Utilizing social media recruitment strategies, participants answered an online survey exploring five mental health indicators: depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt during lockdown. Mediating, and multiple regression analyses revealed that neuroticism is the most important variable in predicting poor mental health, and that perceived social support plays a mediating role in the case of depression. Discomfort with one's own family holds positive correlations with mental health indicators, showing that the greater the discomfort, higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. Results also showed that discrimination, and drug use hold significant relationships to suicidal attempt. Practice recommendations for Mexican LGBTQ + communities are offered.

Sources of knowledge and truth related to anabolic/androgenic steroid use among two-spirit, gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to explore how two-spirit, gay, bisexual, and queer cisgender and transgender (2SGBQ+) men engage with information related to non-prescribed anabolic/androgenic steroid (AAS) use, and how discourses of risk surrounding AASs influence their AAS use practices. Two objectives were achieved: (1) Sources of information that 2SGBQ+ men consulted when considering using AASs were identified and (2) the ways in which discourses of risk shaped 2SGBQ+ men's experiences of using AASs were revealed. METHODS: Participants were recruited for semi-structured interviews online and through word of mouth. A critical poststructural methodology and theories of risk discourse and biopolitics were used to identify themes and interpret data. RESULTS: Seventeen interviews were conducted with adult 2SGBQ+ cis and trans men. Three themes emerged: (1) Unauthoritative sources of knowledge and truth sought by current and prospective AAS users were inconsistent and difficult to evaluate; (2) Authoritative sources, including health care providers, reacted inconsistently; and (3) 2SGBQ+ men generated and shared lay knowledges as a form of community-led harm reduction. CONCLUSION: The complexities of seeking and evaluating information highlight the privileged nature of trustworthy, accurate information on the topic. Risk-as a discursive regime-places 2SGBQ+ male AAS users in the position to produce lay knowledge and cultivate their own "truths" on the topic, which can lead to preventable harm. Public health needs to address these biopolitical effects by considering these lay forms of knowledge as an untapped resource and design accessible and judgement-free AAS use harm reduction programs for 2SGBQ+ AAS users.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Cette étude visait à explorer le rapport des hommes gais, bisexuels, queer, trans, bispirituels et autres hommes cisgenres et transgenres qui aiment les hommes (GBTQ2+) avec les informations sur l'utilisation des stéroïdes anabolisants/androgéniques (SAA) vendus sans ordonnance, et en quoi le discours sur le risque posé par les SAA influence leurs pratiques d'utilisation des SAA. L'étude avait deux objectifs : 1) trouver les sources d'informations consultées par les hommes GBTQ2+ qui songent à utiliser des SAA; et 2) révéler comment le discours du risque modifie l'expérience d'utilisation des SAA par les hommes GBTQ2+. MéTHODE: Les participants ont été recrutés en ligne et de bouche à oreille pour se prêter à des entretiens semi-directifs. Une méthode critique poststructurale et les théories du discours du risque et de la biopolitique ont servi à repérer les thématiques et à interpréter les données. RéSULTATS: En tout, 17 entretiens ont été menés auprès d'hommes adultes GBTQ2+ cisgenres et transgenres. Trois thèmes en sont ressortis : 1) Les sources de savoir et de vérité non autorisées consultées par les utilisateurs actuels et éventuels des SAA se contredisaient et étaient difficiles à évaluer; 2) Les sources autorisées, dont les professionnels de santé, réagissaient contradictoirement; et 3) Les hommes GBTQ2+ produisaient et partageaient des savoirs non professionnels ­ une forme de réduction des méfaits d'inspiration communautaire. CONCLUSION: La complexité des tâches de recherche et d'évaluation des informations fait ressortir la nature privilégiée des informations fiables et exactes à ce sujet. Le discours du risque met les hommes GBTQ2+ qui font usage de SAA dans la position de devoir produire des savoirs non professionnels et cultiver leurs propres « vérités ¼ à ce sujet, ce qui peut causer des méfaits évitables. La santé publique doit se pencher sur ces effets biopolitiques en considérant ces formes de savoirs non professionnelles comme une ressource non exploitée et en concevant des programmes de réduction des méfaits accessibles et sans jugements pour les personnes GBTQ2+ qui utilisent des SAA.

The aging seen from prison: psychosocial analysis of LGBT old age with womens and men deprived of freedom at the brazilian context of COVID-19

Old age is a universal phenomenon that has notably expanded in the Brazilian population, including within the prison system. However, the arrival of the coronavirus in Brazilian prisons reinforced the need to pay attention to the psychosocial vulnerabilities that permeate this environment and affect the population in prison. The study aimed to analyze and compare the social representations of women and men in deprivation of liberty about the conditions that LGBT elderly people have to experience a safe old age in the context in which they live. It is characterized as a qualitative research, based on the Theory of Social Representations, of a descriptive and comparative nature, with cross-sectional data and a non-probabilistic convenience sample. There were 28 people living in deprivation of liberty in male and female penal units, during the pandemic period in a Brazilian state. It is evident that in the representations of the participants, old age is not a phase full of tranquility, as there are conditions and resources necessary to live it well. It is concluded that there is a predominance of many stereotypes about sexual orientation, lifestyle, loneliness in old age and sexuality among the elderly, which can be justified by the lack of knowledge on the subject or even the lack of contact with people LGBT's. © 2022, Sociedad Interamericana de Psicologia. All rights reserved.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBT individuals

The COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies used to cope with the outbreak intensified health, social and economic inequities within society. In particular, psychological problems of different types were experienced by the LGBT community. Previous research has shown that sexual minorities often have more limited access to health care services due to discrimination resulting from lack of cultural responsiveness among health care professionals to the special needs of this sub-group. Pandemic officials failed to recognize the unique needs and concerns of LGBT individuals. As such, it is recommended that, in the future, LGBT persons should be provided with online work, education, and mental health services, as well as mental health services. In particular, emphasis needs to be placed on social support which is a major problem for a minority group during a major crisis affecting a large swath of the population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A Statistical Understanding of Disability in the LGBT Community

For the first time ever, the United States Census Bureau began collecting data on the LGBT community with Phase 3.2 of the Household Pulse Survey. The Household Pulse Survey assesses how residents of the United States are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data provided by the Household Pulse Survey Week 34 through Week 39 provides information to understand the lives of LGBT residents of the United States and how the LGBT community as a whole is doing economically.This study merges six weeks of the Household Pulse Survey, for a total of 382,908 survey responses. The sample represents a population of 250,265,449 adult residents aged 18 and older in the United States. This study provides the first nationally representative sample of residents of the United States that identify as transgender. This study specifically focuses on LGBT people with disabilities but highlights disparities facing transgender disabled U.S. adult residents. Disability is defined in the Household Pulse Survey as a severe or total impairment of those with seeing, hearing, remembering, and mobility disability types. The data indicates significant disparities for LGBT people compared to non-LGBT people, specifically in terms of economic considerations like work loss, household finances, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Statistics & Public Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Axes of social inequities in COVID-19 clinical trials: A systematic review.

Objective: The representativeness of participants is crucial to ensure external validity of clinical trials. We focused on the randomized clinical trials which assessed COVID-19 vaccines to assess the reporting of age, sex, gender identity, race, ethnicity, obesity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status in the results (description of the participants' characteristics, loss of follow-up, stratification of efficacy and safety results). Methods: We searched the following databases for randomized clinical trials published before 1st February 2022: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Excerpta Medica. We included peer-reviewed articles written in English or Spanish. Four researchers used the Rayyan platform to filter citations, first reading the title and abstract, and then accessing the full text. Articles were excluded if both reviewers agreed, or if a third reviewer decided to discard them. Results: Sixty three articles were included, which assessed 20 different vaccines, mainly in phase 2 or 3. When describing the participants' characteristics, all the studies reported sex or gender, 73.0% race, ethnicity, 68.9% age groups, and 22.2% obesity. Only one article described the age of participants lost to follow-up. Efficacy results were stratified by age in 61.9%, sex or gender in 26.9%, race and/or, ethnicity in 9.5%, and obesity in 4.8% of the articles. Safety results were stratified by age in 41.0%, and by sex or gender in 7.9% of the analysis. Reporting of gender identity, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status of participants was rare. Parity was reached in 49.2% of the studies, and sex-specific outcomes were mentioned in 22.9% of the analysis, most of the latter were related to females' health. Conclusions: Axes of social inequity other than age and sex were hardly reported in randomized clinical trials that assessed COVID-19 vaccines. This undermines their representativeness and external validity and sustains health inequities.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Health of LGBTQIA+ Older Adults: Identification of Risk and Protective Health Factors and Development of a Model of Health and Disease.

It is important to understand the differential impact of COVID-19 on the health of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and people with other sexual orientations and forms of gender expression (LGBTQIA+). The objective of this study is to systematically review the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQIA+ older adults' health including risk and protective factors. We reviewed a total of 167 records including LGBTQIA+ older adults published since 2019. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts and extracted information of 21 full-text records meeting inclusion criteria using COVIDENCE software. The results show that the negative health consequences are exacerbated by personal risk (e.g., perceived homo/transphobia and ageism in LGBTQIA+ communities) and environmental factors (e.g., heterosexism within health services). The negative impact seems to be reduced by personal protective (e.g., resilience, spirituality, and hobbies) and environmental factors (e.g., technology use to increase social participation and social rituals). In conclusion, the health of LGBTQIA+ older adults has been disproportionately affected during the pandemic associated to the latest coronavirus (COVID-19). The experiences of LGBTQIA+ older adults during the pandemic are integrated in a Model of Health and Disease for LGBTQIA+ older adults. Specific strategies to promote health and well-being in this community are provided.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and or queer patient experiences in Canadian primary care and emergency departments: a literature review.

This literature review synthesises existing evidence and offers a thematic analysis of primary care and emergency department experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or any other sexual or gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals in Canada. Articles detailing first-person primary or emergency care experiences of LGBTQ + patients were included from EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINHAL. Studies published before 2011, focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, unavailable in English, non-Canadian, specific to other healthcare settings, and/or only discussing healthcare provider experiences were excluded. Critical appraisal was performed following title/abstract screening and full-text review by three reviewers. Of sixteen articles, half were classified as general LGBTQ + experiences and half as trans-specific experiences. Three overarching themes were identified: discomfort/disclosure concerns, lack of positive space signalling, and lack of healthcare provider knowledge. Heteronormative assumptions were a key theme among general LGBTQ + experiences. Trans-specific themes included barriers to accessing care, the need for self-advocacy, care avoidance, and disrespectful communication. Only one study reported positive interactions. LGBTQ + patients continue to have negative experiences within Canadian primary and emergency care - at the provider level and due to system constraints. Increasing culturally competent care, healthcare provider knowledge, positive space signals, and decreasing barriers to care can improve LGBTQ + experiences.

Perceptions and practices of the Brazilian LGBT+ population toward blood donation.

In May 2020, after years of demands by activists and in light of COVID-19-related blood shortages, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court abolished the rules that demanded a 12-month celibacy period for men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood. The objective of this open web survey was to assess the perceptions and practices regarding blood donation and blood donation rules among members of the Brazilian LGBT+ community. The data collection was conducted between October 2019 and March 2020, before the changes in the rules for blood donation and before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. A total of 1639 adult individuals, self-declared as LGBT+ , participated (54.3 % MSM, 2.2 non-MSM, 43.5 % women). As expected, most of the study participants did not agree with the 12-month deferral period for MSM donate blood. Blood donation was already practiced by MSM, even before the abolition of the restrictions on donation. Among MSM and women, 38.7 % and 41.0 % have already donated blood, respectively. A significant number of participants reported lying in screening interviews at blood banks in order to be able to donate, and many said they knew people who were MSM and disobeyed the rules for donation, even though they knew them. Therefore, the practice of blood donation was already present among these people, even before the restriction policy change, confirming the need for revised rules for blood donation.

Gender in mental health: Relationship of spirituality, social support, and COVID-19-related fear among heterosexual and LGBTQ+ youth.

Introduction: The youth is a vulnerable population to COVID-19-related fear. Among them, those with LGBTQ+ identities are at higher risk. Given the posited protective effects of spirituality and social support on fear, this study explored their effects on COVID-19-related fear among heterosexual and LGBTQ+ youth. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 137 respondents Filipinos aged 18-30 years old. The respondents answered a survey containing a sociodemographic questionnaire, 12-items Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), 20-items Core Dimensions of Spirituality Questionnaire (CDSQ), and 7-items Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCS). After, the data were analyzed using means, frequencies, Mann-Whitney U-tests, and correlation coefficients. Results: Social support from friends was negatively correlated with COVID-19-related fear among heterosexual respondents, R = -0.219, p = 0.029. Search for meaning positively correlated with COVID-19-related fear among LGBTQ+ respondents, R = 0.395, p = 0.016. Heterosexual respondents also have a higher belief in God (U = 1,004, p < 0.001) and feelings of security (U = 1,110.5, p < 0.001) than their LGBTQ+ counterparts. Discussion: These findings suggest that social support from friends is protective against COVID-19-related fear among heterosexual youth but not among LGBTQ+. In addition, a high search for meaning can heighten COVID-19-related fear among LGBTQ+. Finally, these findings can be explained by the higher rates of discrimination against LGBTQ+ than heterosexual youth. Thus, gender-responsive mental healthcare is needed to address the youth's fears as society recovers from the pandemic.

Loneliness and depressive symptoms differ by sexual orientation and gender identity during physical distancing measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing measures to prevent transmission of the virus have been implemented. The effect of physical distancing measures on loneliness especially for vulnerable groups remained unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate loneliness in relation with depressive symptoms among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter, asexual, and queer (LGBT) persons compared with cis-heterosexual persons during the pandemic. We conducted an online survey during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The survey contained self-categorizations regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, questions on loneliness, social contacts, depressive symptoms, and healthcare. Descriptive and regression analysis and propensity score matching across cohorts was conducted using R; 2641 participants took part in first wave of the survey and 4143 participants in the second wave. The proportion of lonely people was higher in the second wave compared with the first wave. LGBT persons were more lonely than cis-heterosexual persons. In both waves, being LGBT was associated with depressive symptoms, but loneliness mediated the effect, even when adjusting for social contacts. Psychologists and other practitioners should be aware that LGBT clients might have an increased risk for loneliness and depressive symptoms and of the potential burden of the pandemic measures.

The Covid-19 Pandemic and Contemporary Identity Attitudes of Young Vilamovians

Vilamovians, who are descendants of thirteenth-century Germanic settlers, have retained a strong sense of their own identity for centuries. This identity developed gradually under the influence of many factors and dominant groups, and for this reason it has never been one-dimensional. As a minority, Vilamovians had to adapt to the political situation, which influenced the development of various ideologies and attitudes.After the Second World War, they were forced to abandon their language, traditional costume and any other signs of ethnic distinctiveness. As a result, Vilamovian culture began to quickly disappear. It is only recent decades that have seen a change in the situ-ation, thanks to the youngest generation becoming involved in the revitalisation process. The engagement of researchers and the process of overcoming the historical trauma by the community members not only encouraged them to openly speak about Vilamovian identity - these developments also put it on a new track, adapting it to the realities of the twenty-first century.As it turned out, identity and the sense of distinctiveness were a much stronger deter-minant of the ethnic group than the language or traditional costume, which, although in use again, are far less popular among Vilamovians. The Covid-19 pandemic had an unprece-dented impact not only on the expressed identity attitudes, but also on activities shaping the revitalisation policy.

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the transnationalization of LGBT* activism in Japan and beyond.

The global Covid-19 pandemic has strongly impacted social practices, relocating communications and social networks into the digital space. Contextualized in such impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the local LGBT* activism in Japan achieved a special momentum: both the acceleration of the socio-spatial relocation of LGBT* activism to the digital space and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by 1 year enabled activists to mobilize people domestically and globally. The pandemic was not the actual cause or driver of the local LGBT* activism, yet it has been an important catalyst for the transnationalization of the local movement in Japan, pushing evidently the spatial boundaries to achieve broader public outreach but in turn also receiving stronger support from the global community through transnational networks. This study explores novel dynamics of spatiality and temporality of social transformations through the Covid-19-induced increase in global digital connectedness as well as transnationalization of local actions.

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Italian LGBT+ Young Adults' Mental Health: The Role of Neuroticism and Family Climate.

Vulnerable populations have been among the most affected by the social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; among those, young people and sexual and gender minorities have seen their situation exacerbated by new specific regulations. The aim of the present study was twofold: first, to assess the role of family climate, concerning participants' LGBT+ status during lockdown restrictions, in mediating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal quality of life and mental health (stress, depression, and anxiety); second, to assess how individual stable traits can moderate the relationship between the individual impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes. A total of 407 young adults aged 18 to 35 (M age = 25.03 years; SD = 4.68) who self-identified as being part of a sexual or gender minority took part in this study. Results highlight the association between negative family climate and internalizing symptoms of psychological distress, and its role as a partial mediator of the relationship between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at the individual level and mental health outcomes. Additionally, low personality trait levels of neuroticism significantly decreased the strength of the relationship between LGBT+ status during blocking restrictions and internalizing symptoms.

Support over Social Media among Socially Isolated Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Rural U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities for Intervention Research.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) rural adolescents are at risk for higher levels of social isolation, a well-known risk factor for depression and other negative health outcomes. We qualitatively examined how rural SGM youth seek emotional and informational support, which are protective factors for social isolation on social media (SM) regarding their SGM identity, and determined which SM platforms and tools are most effective in providing support. We conducted semistructured online interviews with rural SGM teens who screened positive for social isolation in spring 2020 and used a thematic analysis approach to analyze the data. Sixteen youths participated in interviews. Themes included seeking emotional support through SM groups and communities, seeking emotional support in designated online SGM spaces, using SM feeds for informational support, and disclosing SGM identity differentially across platforms. SM-based interventions could be leveraged to provide emotional and informational support for rural SGM youth across specific SM platforms and consider whether they are providing emotional or information support. Interventions focused on informational support may best be used on content-based platforms. Those designed to combat social isolation and connect marginalized SGM youths to similar others might benefit from community and forum-based platforms.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBT individuals

The COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies used to cope with the outbreak intensified health, social and economic inequities within society. In particular, psychological problems of different types were experienced by the LGBT community. Previous research has shown that sexual minorities often have more limited access to health care services due to discrimination resulting from lack of cultural responsiveness among health care professionals to the special needs of this sub-group. Pandemic officials failed to recognize the unique needs and concerns of LGBT individuals. As such, it is recommended that, in the future, LGBT persons should be provided with online work, education, and mental health services, as well as mental health services. In particular, emphasis needs to be placed on social support which is a major problem for a minority group during a major crisis affecting a large swath of the population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Social Determinants of Alcohol Use Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety Among Sexual Minority Males During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the mental health disparities between sexual minorities and the Filipino population. This study explored the mental health disparities experienced by sexual minorities, which remains unexplored. The study utilized self-administered survey forms to explore the extent and social determinants of an alcohol use disorder, depression, and anxiety among Filipino sexual minority males during the pandemic. A total of 220 participants were recruited in October 2020. They were composed of adult Filipino cisgender males with non-heterosexual orientation from Metro Manila. The results showed significant rates of risk for alcohol use disorder, depression, and anxiety at 36.4%, 9.5%, and 26.4%, respectively. Age (OR=0.886, p = .025), homosexual orientation (OR=0.035, p = .033), bisexual orientation (OR= 0.009, p = .011), and living with relatives (OR=0.162, p = .006) were also significantly associated with depression. Age (OR=0.866, p= < .001) was significantly associated with anxiety. Moreover, compared with the general population during the pandemic, Filipino sexual minorities' risk for alcohol use disorder was higher than depression and anxiety. These disparities were significantly associated with age, sexual orientation, and living arrangements. The findings suggest comorbidities of an alcohol use disorder, depression, and anxiety among Filipino sexual minorities that can be addressed through cost-effective online treatment modalities, information-education campaigns, integration of mental health into educational curriculums, the institution of policies that bar discrimination against sexual minorities, and initiatives to strengthen family support groups. © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.

Computer passwords as a timely booster for writing-based psychological interventions.

Writing-based psychological interventions have been widely implemented to produce adaptive change, e.g., through self-affirmation (reminding people of their most important values). To maintain the long-term effects of these interventions, we developed a form of intervention boosters-using user-customized computer passwords to convey the therapeutic messages. We examined whether computer passwords could enhance the effect of a self-affirmation intervention on the psychological well-being of sexual minority undergraduate students as they begin university. Participants were randomly assigned to either complete a self-affirmation writing exercise and create a self-affirming computer password to use for 6 weeks or complete a control writing exercise and create a control computer password. We found that frequency of password usage moderated the intervention effect, such that frequent use of self-affirming passwords buffered decreases in psychological well-being over the study period. These findings suggest that passwords can serve as a low-cost, low-burden, and timely booster for writing-based psychological interventions.