THE SEXUALITY, HEALTH, AND GENDER LAB
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
REACH
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Feinstein
Co-Investigators: Drs. Jeremy Goldbach and Fallon Goodman
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH130375)
​
The goal of this project is to understand how minority stress influences mental health over time and in daily life among LGBTQ+ adolescents. This will be accomplished by recruiting 500 LGBTQ+ adolescents to participate in a longitudinal and experience-sampling study. Participants will complete 4 longitudinal surveys at 6-month intervals and 2 cycles of momentary assessments: 4 mini-surveys per day for 21 days (at baseline and 6-months). These data will be used to identify momentary and longer-term influences on mental health in this population.
BRIGHT
Principal Investigators: Drs. Christina Dyar and Brian Feinstein
Co-Investigators: Drs. Paz Galupo and Ethan Mereish
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH138335)
​
The goal of this project is to understand the impact of positive and negative identity-related experiences on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people. This will be accomplished by recruiting 500 LGBTQ+ individuals to participate in a longitudinal study. Participants will complete 5 surveys at 6-month intervals. These data will be used to identify trajectories of mental health outcomes over time, risk factors and their underlying mechanisms, and protective factors.
BRIGHT
Study
INHALE
Principal Investigators: Drs. Brian Feinstein and Nancy Jao
Funder: The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Cente​
The goal of this study is to understand 1) how perceptions of tobacco use and policies may influence nicotine product use and mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults, and 2) how stigma (related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and smoking) may impact nicotine product use among those who identify as LGBTQ+.
COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS
BI-STAR
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Feinstein
​
The goal of this project is to understand how stress and trauma influence mental health, substance use, and relationship functioning over time among bi+ people.
Select Publication:
​
Herry, E., Dyar, C., Bettin, E., Mereish, E. H., Galupo, M. P., & Feinstein, B. A. (2025). From rejection by others to affirmation of self: Understanding the dynamics of cissexism-based stress, resilience factors, and suicidal ideation among bi+ transgender and gender diverse adults. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000852
B*SMART: An online sex education program for bisexual, pansexual, and queer male youth ages 14-17
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Feinstein
Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA045575)
​
The goal of this project was to develop and pilot test an online intervention to increase sexual health knowledge and to decrease sexual risk behavior (including substance use) among bisexual, pansexual, and queer male youth ages 14-17. The feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention (compared to a waitlist control condition) was tested in a pilot randomized clinical trial with 60 participants.
The Bi+ Youth Project
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Feinstein
Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA045575)
​
The goal of this project was to learn about factors that drive engagement in sexual risk behavior and substance use among bisexual, pansexual, and queer male youth ages 14-17. This was accomplished using a mixed-methods approach, which included surveying and interviewing 60 participants about their sexual orientation, sexual decision-making, motivations for substance use, and intervention preferences. Data from this project were used to inform the development of a sex education program tailored to the unique needs of this population (described above).
Bi+ Youth Project
Select Publications:
​
Mata, D., Korpak, A. K., Macaulay, T., Dodge, B., Mustanski, B., & Feinstein, B. A. (2022). Substance use experiences among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) male youth: A qualitative study of motivations, consequences, and decision making. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02447-9
​
Mata, D., Korpak, A. K., Sorensen, B. L., Dodge, B., Mustanski, B., & Feinstein, B. A. (Accepted/In press). A mixed methods study of sexuality education experiences and preferences among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) male youth. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-021-00593-8
​
Wang, A. Y., & Feinstein, B. A. (2020). The perks of being bi+: Positive sexual orientation–related experiences among bisexual, pansexual, and queer male youth. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000459
The Bi+ Visibility Project
Principal Investigator: Dr. Brian Feinstein
Co-Investigators: Drs. Joanne Davila and Christina Dyar
Funders: The American Psychological Foundation and
the Sexualities Project at Northwestern
​
The goal of this project was to learn about bisexual, pansexual, and queer (“bi+”) people’s attempts to make their sexual identity visible to others (referred to as visibility attempts).
Bi+ Visibility
Project
Select Publications:
​
Dyar, C., Feinstein, B. A., Bettin, E., & Davila, J. (2022). Bisexual+ visibility attempts: Associations with minority stress, affect, and substance use in a daily diary study. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 9, 201–213. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000469
​
Feinstein, B. A., Dyar, C., Poon, J., Goodman, F. R., & Davila, J. (2022). The affective consequences of minority stress among bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) adults: A daily diary study. Behavior Therapy, 53, 571-584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.01.013
​
Vilkin, E., Davila, J., Dyar, C., & Feinstein, B. A. (2022). Bi+ adults’ daily wellbeing: The roles of relationship status and partner gender. Personal Relationships, 29, 283-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12418
​
Davila, J., Feinstein, B. A., Dyar, C., & Jabbour, J. (2021). How, when, and why do bisexual+ individuals attempt to make their identity visible? Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 8, 94–105. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000411
​
Feinstein, B. A., Xavier Hall, C. D., Dyar, C., & Davila, J. (2020). Motivations for sexual identity concealment and their associations with mental health among bisexual, pansexual, queer, and fluid (bi+) individuals. Journal of Bisexuality, 20, 324–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2020.1743402