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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07793357

TENNacity Trial: A Pilot Test of Intersectional CBT Among Young Southern Black and Latino/x GBQ+ Men

This open pilot involves testing the acceptability and feasibility of an intersectional, culturally responsive health intervention by piloting it among young Black and Latino/x gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ+) men residing in Middle Tennessee. Qualitative exit interviews will be conducted to provide information regarding intervention feasibility, acceptability, and refinement; changes in primary and secondary study outcomes will help assess efficacy potential. Effective Skills to Empower Effective Men (ESTEEM), has been shown to decrease negative mental health symptomology and HIV risk behavior among a racially diverse sample of young GBQ+ men. This study would inform the cultural adaptation of ESTEEM to fit the unique and intersectional experiences of Black and Latino/x GBQ+ men living in the South, and in particular within Middle TN. The adaptation and group pilot stands to significantly improve stigma coping and the mental/sexual health of Black and Latino/x GBQ+ men in Middle TN-and in turn impact the HIV burden in the Southern US.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Nashville CARES Community Clinic

Nashville, Tennessee, 37201, United States

About this study

These research activities seek to further the reach and cultural-appropriateness of a clinically effective evidence-based intervention (ESTEEM) by further adapting ESTEEM-conneCT (a group-based treatment designed for gay and bisexual men of color in Fair Haven, CT) for young Black and Latino/x GBM residing in Middle Tennessee. The intervention study will take place in Nashville, TN with a partnership between the Nashville CARES and the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). This pilot will guide further refinement, identify facilitators and barriers to scaling up, and yield effect size estimates for powering future studies.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • identify as male
  • anticipate 6-months of residential stability in Nashville (or surrounding service area)
  • identify as gay, bisexual, or report past-12-month sex with a man
  • identify as Black and/or Latino
  • speak fluent English
  • provide consent

Exclusion criteria

  • exhibit symptoms of psychosis, mania, or gross cognitive impairment (assessed by a clinician during pre-assessment)

Treatment and study plan

Adapted ESTEEM intervention

Behavioral

culturally-responsive behavioral health intervention

Primary outcomes

  1. Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The CES-D is a 20-item measure that assesses frequency of past-week depression symptoms (e.g., "I was bothered by things that usually don't bother me") on a 4-point scale from 0 (rarely or none of the time [less than 1 day]) to 3 (most or all of the time [5-7 days]). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater risk for clinical depression. Total score range 0-80.

  2. Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    ODSIS is a 5-item self-report scale that asks participants to rate the severity and impairment associated with past-week symptoms of depression (e.g., "In the past week, when you have felt depressed, how intense or severe was your depression?") from 0 (little or none: Depression was absent or barely noticeable.) to 4 (extreme: Depression was overwhelming.). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater severity and impairment. Total score range 0-20.

  3. Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    OASIS is a 5-item self-report scale that asks participants to rate the severity and impairment associated with past-week anxiety symptoms (e.g., "In the past week, when you have felt anxious, how intense or severe was your anxiety?") from 0 (little or none: Anxiety was absent or barely noticeable.) to 4 (extreme: Anxiety was overwhelming. It was impossible to relax at all. Physical symptoms were unbearable). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater severity and impairment. Total score range 0-20.

  4. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The 18-item BSI provides a mean score across depression, anxiety, and somatization subscales, and assesses psychological distress (e.g., "feeling nervousness or shakiness inside") on a 5-point scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). The item scores are summed with higher scores indicating greater severity and impairment. Total score range 0-72.

  5. Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    SIDAS is a 5-item self-report scale that assesses past-month frequency and controllability of suicidal thoughts, how close one has come to making an attempt, and distress and impairment associated with thoughts of suicide (e.g., "In the past month, how often have you had thoughts about suicide?"). Responses range from 0 (never or not at all) to 10 (always or extremely). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater severity of suicidal ideation. Total score range 0-50.

  6. Short Inventory of Problems - Alcohol and Drugs (SIP-AD) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    SIP-AD is a 15-item scale in which the sum of "yes" responses indicates participants' past-3-month consequences of alcohol and drug use (e.g., "I have failed to do what is expected of me because of my drinking/drug use?). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater problems related to drugs and alcohol. Total score range 0-15.

  7. Mean Recent HIV-risk Acts

    Time frame: Baseline (0-30 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Mean Number of Recent HIV-risk Acts self reported using the timeline follow-back method

  8. Psychological Health Change

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The number of the mental health variables that change in the expected direction. The eight psychological health variables include: depressive symptoms; anxiety; social anxiety; suicidal ideation; psychological distress; substance use problems; rumination; and assertiveness.

  9. Sexual Health Change

    Time frame: Baseline (0-30 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The number of sexual health variables that change in the expected direction. The four sexual health variables include: Recent HIV transmission risk acts; condom use self-efficacy; sexual compulsivity; and recent PrEP use.

  10. Social Interaction Anxiety Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    A 20-item self-report scale that assesses fear, distress, and anxiety a person feels during general social interactions. Responses range from 0 (Not at all characteristic of me) to 4 (Extremely characteristic of me). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater level of social anxiety. Total score range 0-80.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean score Ruminative Responses Scale - Brooding Subscale

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Brooding Subscale is a 5-item measure that assesses maladaptive cognitive patterns when feeling down, sad, or depressed (e.g., "Think 'why do I always react this way?'") on a 4-point scale from 1 (Almost Never) to 4 (Almost Always). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater ruminative brooding. Total score range 0-4.

  2. Rathus Assertiveness Schedule score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule is a 30-item measure that assesses assertiveness and passivity (e.g., "I often have a hard time saying 'No.'") on a 6-point scale from +3 (very characteristic of me) to -3 (very uncharacteristic of me). The item scores are summed, with positive scores indicating higher assertiveness and negative scores indicating lower assertiveness or passivity. Total score range 90 to -90.

  3. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The AUDIT assesses past-3-month alcohol and related problems across 10 items (e.g., "How often did you have a drink containing alcohol?") with varying numeric response options (0-4). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater alcohol-related risk. Total score range 0-40.

  4. Mean score Safer Sex Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Condom use self-efficacy will be measured by calculating mean scores on the Safer Sex Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The Safer Sex Self-Efficacy Questionnaire is a 13-item measure that assesses confidence in avoiding having anal sex without a condom in different situations (e.g., "When you are with someone who is really hot?") on a 5-point scale from 1 (Not at all confident) to 5 (Extremely confident). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater condom use self-efficacy. Total score range 1-13.

  5. Sexual Compulsivity Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Sexual Compulsivity Scale is a 10-item measure that assesses difficulties regulating sexual desire (e.g., "I think about sex more than I would like to") on a 4-point scale from 1 (Not at all lke me) to 4 (Very much like m). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater Sexual Compulsivity. Total score range 10-40.

  6. Percent participants with recent PrEP use

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Recent PrEP use will be measured by calculating proportions of participants who reported any PrEP use over the past 3 months. Three types of PrEP were described before participants were asked, "Which methods of PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) administration have you used to reduce the risk of getting HIV over the past 3 months? Select all that apply." Answer options included Daily PrEP (i.e., 4-7 days a week), On-demand PrEP (i.e., the "2-1-1" schedule), Injectable PrEP (i.e., every two months), and I have not taken PrEP in any form over the past three months.

  7. Stigma Coping Strategies

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Number of protective strategies that increased and risk-enhancing strategies that decreased.

  8. Stigma Coping- Adaptiveness Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Coping response will be scored on a 5-point adaptiveness scale (created for this study) ranging from 1 (Definitely adaptive [or almost certainly so]) to 5 (Definitely maladaptive [or almost certainly so]) with higher scores indicating worse coping. Total score range 1-5.

  9. Internalized Homophobia Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Internalized Homophobia Scale is a 9-item measure that assesses internalized homophobia on a 4-point scale from 1 (Never) to 4 (Often). The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater internalized homophobia. Total score range 9-36.

  10. Gay-Related Rejection Sensitivity Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Gay-Related Rejection Sensitivity Scale is a 14-item measure that the likelihood of expecting rejection by heterosexuals in more or less ambiguous situations with answers on a scale ranging from 1 to 6 with higher scores indicating greater rejection. Total score range 1-6.

  11. Mean Outness Inventory (OI) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The OI is an 11-item scale designed to assess the degree to which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals are open about their sexual orientation. Responses on OI items indicate the degree to which the respondent's sexual orientation is known by and openly discussed with various types of individuals on a 7-point scale from 1 (person definitely does NOT know about your sexual orientation status) to 7 (person definitely knows about your sexual orientation status, and it is OPENLY talked about); if the person of group is not relevant to them, participants select 0 (not applicable to your situation; there is no such person or group of people in your life). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater sexual orientation disclosure. Total score range 0-4.

  12. Mean Sexual Orientation Concealment Scale (SOCS) score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    This version of the Self-Concealment Scale is a 6-item measure that assesses sexual ), a brief self-report measure assessing effort to conceal one's sexual identity in one's current life (e.g., "In the last 2 weeks, I have altered my appearance, mannerisms, or activities in an attempt to 'pass' as straight.") on a 5-point scale from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (All the time). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater concealment. Total score range 1-5.

  13. Internalized Racism score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Internalized racism will be measured as mean of participant scores on a 5-item measure that assesses negative thoughts and beliefs about one's own racial minority status. Participants were presented with a question regarding their racial/ethnic identity (e.g., "How do you feel today about being a person of your racial/ethnic background?"), which they answer by completing five semantic differential scales, each ranging from 1 (a negative characteristic) to 5 (a corresponding positive characteristic): uncomfortable to comfortable, dissatisfied to satisfied, ashamed to proud, strong to weak, and self-accepting to self-rejecting. The item scores are summed, with higher scores indicating greater internalized racism. Total score range 5-25.

  14. Mean Racism-Related Vigilance scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The scale is a 7-item measure includes four items that assess (a) racial/ethnic vigilance (e.g., "try to prepare for possible insults from other people before leaving home") on a 4-point scale from 0 (Rarely) to 3 (Almost every day), total score range 0-3.and (b) race-related sleep disturbance over the past four weeks (e.g., waking very early with trouble getting back to sleep) on a 5-point scale from 1 (At least once a week) to 5 (Never), total score range 1-5. The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater race-related vigilance.

  15. Anticipatory Race-Related Stress Subscale of the Prolonged Activation and Anticipatory Race-Related Stress Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Anticipatory Race-Related Stress Subscale is a 4-item measure that assesses race-related anticipatory stress on a 7-point scale from 1 (Not at all stressful) to 7 (Extremely Stressful). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater race-related anticipatory stress. Total score range 1-7.

  16. Heterosexism & Cissexism in Communities of Color Subscale of the LGBTQ+ PCMS-R score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    This is a 6-item subscale measure that assesses perceived heterosexism within one's racial/ethnic community on a 7-point scale from 0 (Not applicable) to 6 (Always). Then, participants are presented with directions reading, "Imagining if you were to experience ongoing anti-LGBTQ stigma within your racial/ethnic community, such as:" and all six subscale items were presented. They are then asked, "If you were to encounter situations like these..." before encountering three follow-up questions to assess distress (e.g., "to what extent would the situation stress or bother you?"). The initial subscale score is multiplied by the stress score to compute stress related to heterosexism in one's racial/ethnic community, with higher scores indicating greater intracommunity heterosexism. Total score range 0-30.

  17. Racism within LGBTQ+ Communities Subscale of the LGBTQ+ PCMS-R score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    This is a 6-item subscale measure that assesses perceived racism in the White LGBTQ+ community (e.g., "I have felt misunderstood by White LGBTQ+ people because I am a POC.") on a 5-point scale from 1 (To a little extent) to 5 (To a great extent). Then, participants are presented with directions reading, "Imagining if you were to experience ongoing racism within the LGBTQ+ community, such as:" and all six subscale items were presented. They are then asked, "If you were to encounter situations like these..." before encountering three follow-up questions to assess distress (e.g., "to what extent would the situation stress or bother you?"). The initial subscale score is multiplied by the stress score to compute stress related to heterosexism in one's racial/ethnic community, with higher scores indicating greater intracommunity heterosexism. Total score range 0-30.

  18. Conflicts in Allegiances Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    The Conflicts in Allegiances Scale is a 6-item subscale measure that assesses conflicts between the racial/ethnic and sexual orientation identities they endorsed previously within the survey (e.g., "I separate my [insert sexual orientation] and [insert racial/ethnic group] identities.") on a 7-point scale from 1 (Disagree strongly) to 7 (Agree strongly). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater identity conflict. Total score range 1-7.

  19. Queer People of Color Identity Affirmation Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    This is a 12-item measure that assesses identity affirmation among LGBTQ+ people of color on a 7-point scale from 1 (Very strongly disagree) to 7 (Very strongly agree). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater Southern LGBTQ-POC identity strength. Total score range 1-7.

  20. Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QT-BIPOC) Resilience Measure score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    This is a 20-item subscale measure that assesses the ways oppression has shaped their individuals and community QT-BIPOC resilience on a 7-point scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater intersectional stigma resilience. Total score range 1-7.

  21. Stigma-Related Stress Change

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)

    Number of the mental health variables that change in the expected direction out of the 13 psychological health variables.

  22. Perseverative Cognition Subscale Subscale of the Prolonged Activation and Anticipatory Race-Related Stress Scale score

    Time frame: Baseline (0-14 days before the start of the trial) and post-intervention (three months after the trial)]

    The Perseverative Cognition Subscale Subscale is a 5-item measure that assesses race-related rumination on a 7-point scale from 1 (Not at all stressful) to 7 (Extremely stressful). The item scores are averaged, with higher scores indicating greater race-related anticipatory stress. Total score range 1-7.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Collaborators

  • Nashville CARES
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Southern TENNacity: An Open Pilot of LGBTQ-Affirmative CBT Adapted for Young Black and Latino/x Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men in the US South

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 28, 2026
Registry last updated
Aug 28, 2026

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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