Project Grant R43MD019197

BRIDGES: A DIGITAL INTERVENTION TO INCREASE WORKPLACE BELONGING - BELONGING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND A PARAMOUNT HUMAN NEED AND MOTIVATION. A ROBUST SENSE OF BELONGING CAN SERVE TO IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AS WELL AS RESILIENCE. THWARTED BELONGING- THE ANTITHESIS OF BELONGING-AND THE FEELINGS/EXPERIENCES IT FOMENTS (E.G., ALIENATION, REJECTION, SOCIAL ISOLATION, LONELINESS, AND MARGINALITY) ARE OFTEN ANTECEDENTS TO POOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. INDIVIDUALS WHO POSSESS MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES-SUCH AS MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY WHO POSSESS MARGINALIZED SEXUAL AND GENDER IDENTITIES-ENCOUNTER HIGH RATES OF DISCRIMINATION AND STIGMA, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR EXPERIENCES OF THWARTED BELONGING AND DISPARITIES IN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. IN AN INCREASINGLY POLARIZED WORLD, WORKPLACES SERVE AS IMPORTANT SOURCES OF BELONGING FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES; HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THWARTED BELONGING AS MANY ORGANIZATIONS LACK THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES NECESSARY TO MAKE LGBTQ+ WORKERS FEEL SAFE, CONNECTED, AND INCLUDED. AS A RESULT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES OFTEN BEING FOUNDED ON HETERONORMATIVE AND CISNORMATIVE ASSUMPTIONS, LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS ARE FORCED TO CONFRONT DOMINANT WORKPLACE CULTURES THAT ARE UNWELCOMING. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKPLACE, AS PRECIPITATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FURTHER HINDERS LGBTQ+ WORKERS' PURSUIT OF BELONGING IN THE WORKPLACE IN THAT IT HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN BURNOUT AND, OFTEN, A REDUCTION IN THE POSSIBILITIES FOR WORK-BASED SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. WHILE INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE WORKPLACE BELONGING AMONG LGBTQ+ WORKERS WOULD ADDRESS AN IMPORTANT UNMET PUBLIC HEALTH NEED, EXISTING SOLUTIONS CONSIST OF A NUMBER OF GAPS THAT LIMIT EFFECTIVENESS AND APPLICABILITY TO LGBTQ+ WORKERS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL EMPLOY A PARTICIPATORY DESIGN APPROACH TO CREATE AND EXAMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTS OF BRIDGES: AN ADVANCED LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND MESSAGING PROGRAM THAT WILL LEVERAGE INSIGHTS FROM BEHAVIOR CHANGE SCIENCE TO ADDRESS THWARTED BELONGINGNESS AMONG LGBTQ+ WORKERS. BRIDGES WILL USE PROVEN APPROACHES TO BEHAVIOR CHANGE TAILORING TO INCREASE BELONGINGNESS THROUGH DELIVERING INTERACTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS AND ACTIVITIES, PROVIDING A PLATFORM TO FACILITATE SHARING OF PERSONALIZED STORIES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN ONGOING DISCUSSIONS AND SELF-APPRAISAL, AND PROVIDING ACTIONABLE TIPS FOR ADDRESSING BELONGING WITHIN THE WORKPLACE. THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF BRIDGES WILL BE INFORMED BY EXTENSIVE AND ONGOING END-USER INPUT FROM 12 LGBTQ+ WORKER ADVISORS. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE LGBTQ+ WORKERS WILL BE RECRUITED FOR A 30-DAY PILOT TEST. PHASE I MILESTONES WILL INCLUDE: 1) FEASIBILITY AS EVIDENCED BY CONTINUED RECEIPT OF TEXT MESSAGES FOR THE 30-DAY PILOT PERIOD AND ONE OR MORE INTERACTIONS WITH THE ONLINE TOOLS BY AT LEAST 75% OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS; 2) ACCEPTABILITY OF THE PROGRAM, AS EVIDENCED BY OBTAINING A MINIMUM RATING OVER 69 ON THE SYSTEM USABILITY SCALE AND 75% ENDORSEMENT THAT USERS WOULD RECOMMEND TO A COLLEAGUE; AND 3) PRELIMINARY EFFICACY AS EVIDENCED BY IMPROVED PROFESSIONAL FULFILLMENT.