RESEARCH IN THE BISQue LAB
LGBTQ+ Body Image & Eating Behaviors
Everyone has a body image (i.e., attitudes about one’s body). For most people, the way we feel about our bodies plays a role in our eating behaviors. While body image and eating behaviors are experienced by everyone, LGBTQ+ people have been shown to have unique experiences that differ from heterosexual/cisgender people. With this in mind, our lab’s research is focused on examining the relationships among body image (both negative and positive facets), eating behaviors, and overall mental health among LGBTQ+ people.
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One aim of the lab is to conduct research that leads to significantly reducing the elevated rates of body image concerns and eating pathology among LGBTQ+ people. To that end, we investigate whether previously developed measures of body image are appropriate for LGBTQ+ people (i.e., are they “getting at” the same thing as for heterosexual/cisgender people; Soulliard & Vander Wal, 2019, Body Image; Soulliard & Vander Wal, 2022, Body Image). In addition to well-established theories, such as minority stress, our lab seeks to advance the field’s understanding by testing whether novel theories, such as intraminority gay community stress, may account for body image concerns specifically for sexual minority men (Soulliard et al., 2023, Clinical Psychological Science). Throughout this research, we aim to work with multiple marginalized LGBTQ+ people, including queer and trans people of color (e.g., Soulliard, Layland, et al., 2022, LGBT Health). Our lab is currently preparing for a longitudinal project to test the role of body image concerns and internalized weight bias as predictors of disordered eating across time among sexual minority women and men.
Training & Implementation of Evidence-Based, LGBTQ-Affirmative Mental Health Interventions
Given the mental health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ people, it is necessary to have the best possible treatment for LGBTQ+ clients. While evidence-based, LGBTQ-affirmative mental health interventions have been developed, such treatments (and training of such treatments) must be accessible to mental health clinicians and trainees who work with LGBTQ+ clients. ​
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A second aim of the lab is to conduct training- and implementation-based research with the goal of equipping mental health providers with evidence-based, LGBTQ-affirmative treatments. Based on our lab’s background in clinical psychology, we are particularly focused on training clinical and counseling psychology graduate students, who have expressed an interest and need for such training to inform their clinical work with LGBTQ+ clients (Soulliard et al., 2021, Journal of Homosexuality; Fitterman-Harris et al., 2022, Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity). Fortunately, recent evidence suggests that training in LGBTQ-affirmative treatment can increase clinicians’ perceived clinical competence to work with their LGBTQ+ clients (Pachankis, Soulliard, et al., 2022, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology). Our lab currently has several collaborations with the University of Oregon, Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative, among others, focused on training future clinicians in LGBTQ-affirmative mental health interventions.
