Laura Graham Holmes has been awarded an NIH K23 Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from NIMH. The mentored 4-year award is a bridge to independence in developing psychosocial interventions that will improve mental health and quality of life for autistic adults.A substantial proportion of autistic people identify as sexual or gender minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender non-conforming). Autistic sexual and gender minority people are at increased risk for co-occurring mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts compared to autistic cisgender heterosexual people and report more unmet mental health care needs.
This award will support Dr. Graham Holmes in gaining new skills in community-engaged intervention development for marginalized populations, clinical trial design and implementation science, and developing ethical data and safety monitoring plans for groups at heightened risk for suicide. Dr. Graham Holmes will collaborate with a group of sexual and gender minority autistic people to develop and test an affirming psychosocial intervention, ALIVE, for sexual and gender minority autistic people. The intervention will adapt evidence-based principles for addressing minority stress among sexual and gender minorities using a co-designed, co-facilitated, online group psychoeducation intervention approach. Autistic people will be involved in developing, delivering, and disseminating the intervention. Dr. Graham Holmes is thankful for the support of her team of eight mentors and advisors bring expertise from many disciplines to support this project, and for the immense and continued support of the Silberman School of Social Work.