Protocol for a scoping review of PTSD and minority stress interventions for LGBTQIA + adults

LGBTQIA + people experience trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at higher rates than cisgender heterosexual people, in addition to experiencing minority stress. There remains a dearth of research on appropriate PTSD interventions and minority stress interventions for LGBTQIA + people. However, the scope of the literature on neither PTSD interventions nor minority stress interventions for LGBTQIA + adults has ever been reviewed. Furthermore, research on PTSD-focused and minority stress-focused interventions remains relatively siloed, despite the link between minority stress and PTSD symptoms. The proposed scoping review aims to: (1) describe the scope of the current literature, chart available data, and synthesize findings, (2) collate information on existing PTSD and minority stress interventions for LGBTQIA + adults, and (3) identify gaps in the literature and directions for future research.

Research produced since 2000 on psychological, psychotherapeutic, and behavioral interventions for PTSD, minority stress, or both within the LGBTQIA + adult population will be reviewed. This protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

The search yielded a total of 6818 results. Following deduplication, a total of 4945 results remained. Title/abstract screening will be followed by full-text review and data coding, charting, and mapping.

This scoping review will be the first to describe the state of the literature and synthesize information on both PTSD and minority stress interventions for LGBTQIA + adults. Findings may also highlight promising interventions and treatment components. Information gleaned may inform future adaptations of existing interventions and development of new interventions for LGBTQIA + adults experiencing PTSD and/or minority stress.

This paper discusses the planned steps for an ongoing scoping review. The scoping review will provide an overview of treatments for PTSD and for minority stress for LGBTQIA + adults.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44202-025-00355-2.