My program of research seeks to understand and address co-occurring epidemics, such as stigma-related stress (e.g., heterosexism, racism, sexism, cissexism), trauma exposure, hazardous drinking, and PTSD, surrounding sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, with a focus on sexual minority women and transgender/nonbinary people.

Several ongoing projects involve: (1) identifying multilevel (e.g., individual, interpersonal, structural) determinants of sexual and gender identity disparities in alcohol misuse and poor mental health; (2) guiding evidence-based intervention development, delivery, and implementation to ameliorate hazardous drinking and mental health comorbidities among trauma-exposed SGM people; and (3) determining help-seeking barriers and facilitators among trauma-exposed SGM populations living in high-stigma and low-resource settings, including Central New York.

Undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning more about this work or joining my research team are encouraged to contact me at jrscheer@syr.edu.

NIH/NIMH R21MD018509-01 (PI: Edwards). “Development and pilot evaluation of an online mentorship program to prevent adversities among trans and gender minority youth.” This project aims to complete feasibility and pilot testing of a synchronous, group-delivered eHealth mentoring and skill-building program (i.e., Teen Connection Project) for TGMY ages 14 to 17 that focuses on evidence-based skill-building components (e.g., social-emotional skills) designed to reduce psychosocial and behavioral health problems in this population. Role: Co-Investigator

William T. Grant Foundation MG-203677 (PI: Edwards). “An online family-based program to prevent minority stressors and health inequities among sexual and gender minority youth of color.” This study aims to finalize an online version of the Family Acceptance Project (FAP-O) with ongoing feedback Youth and Caregiver Advisory Boards and Topical Experts; (2) Conduct an open pilot trial (OPT) to document acceptability and feasibility and refine FAP-O; (3) Conduct a pilot randomized control trial to examine the impact of FAP-O on reducing negative outcomes among sexual and gender minority youth of color and promote positive youth development via reducing caregiver rejecting behaviors and increasing caregiver accepting behaviors. Role: Co-Investigator

NIH/NIAAA R01AA029088-01A1 (MPI: Pachankis and Hughes). “A unified protocol to address sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health, and hazardous drinking.” This proposed study will assess the impact of the first tailored online expressive writing intervention to reduce PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual, or queer) and gender diverse individuals who have experienced trauma. Role: Co-Investigator

NIH/NIAAA K01AA028239 (PI: Scheer). “Testing a biopsychosocial model of violence exposure, minority stressors, and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women (SMW).” This K01 will provide major advances in understanding biopsychosocial mechanisms (e.g., minority stressors, physiological reactivity, PTSD) and moderators (e.g., race/ethnicity) influencing the heterogeneity in hazardous drinking among SMW as well as the role that these mechanisms and moderators might play in SMW’s differential need for and response to treatment. Role: Principal Investigator

NY/NJ VA Health Care Network Center for Integrated Healthcare (CIH) Research Pilot Grant Program (PI: Scheer). “Understanding health disparities and barriers to healthcare utilization among sexual minority women veterans with hazardous drinking and mental health comorbidity.” This pilot study will be the first to integrate the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Health Equity Implementation Framework and to use medical informatics and rapid qualitative analysis to guide the implementation of accessible, acceptable, and effective universal screening, early and brief intervention, and timely referrals to specialized behavioral treatment (SBIRT) programs for sexual minority women Veterans in VHA primary care. Role: Principal Investigator

Syracuse University Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program SD-6-2021 (PI: Scheer). “A socioecological approach to understanding formal help-seeking barriers and facilitators among victimized sexual and gender minority people.” In response to limited research on drivers of trauma-exposed SGM people’s barriers and facilitators to accessing formal services, this community-based study strives to 1) understand SGM people’s help-seeking barriers and facilitators across multiple ecological levels and 2) identify contextual factors that contribute to whether and how victimized SGM people make use of local violence-related programming. Role: Principal Investigator

NIH/NIDA R24DA051988 (PI: Batchelder). “Examining sexual minority engagement in recovery community centers.” Findings from this project will characterize the gay, lesbian, and bisexual identified individuals utilizing recovery community centers (RCCs), and identify perceived facilitators, barriers, and satisfaction with RCC utilization as well as to other forms of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders treatment among sexual minorities. Role: Co-Investigator

APA/APF Walter Katkovsky Research Grants and 2022 ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award – Health Disparities/Equity (PI: Scheer). “Expressive writing therapy to reduce PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking among trauma-exposed sexual minority women: A randomized controlled trial.” This study will assess the impact of the first tailored online expressive writing intervention to reduce PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women who have experienced trauma. Role: Principal Investigator

Yale Fund for Lesbian and Gay Studies. (PI: Jackson). “Border identity stress among bisexual, multiracial, and gender non-binary populations.” This study seeks to identify and study a new form of minority stress: border identity stress (i.e., the unique mental strain caused by holding an identity that transgresses two binary groups such as bisexual, multiracial, and gender nonbinary identities) using cross-sectional and ecological momentary assessment methodology. Role: Co-Investigator

Publications: Please see my full and up-to-date publication lists via my profiles on Google Scholar, NCBI, and ResearchGate. Please also visit the Minority Stress & Trauma Lab’s website.

Scheer, J. R., Helminen, E. C., Cascalheira, C. J., Jaipuriyar, V., Shaw, T. J., Zabelski, A. S., Behari, K., Pirog, S. A., Batchelder, A. W., Possemato, K., Hughes, T. L. & Sullivan, T. P. (2023). Probable PTSD, PTSD symptom severity, and comorbid PTSD and hazardous drinking among sexual minority women compared to heterosexual women: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102283

Scheer, J. R., Wall, M. M., Veldhuis, C., Ford, J., Cascalheira, C. J., Helminen, E. C., Shaw, T. J., Jaipuriyar, V., Zaso, M. J., & Hughes, T. L. (2023). Associations between trauma exposure and minority stressors and substance use among cisgender sexual minority women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177.08862605231153886.

Scheer, J. R., Cascalheira, C. J., Helminen, E. C., Shaw, T. J., Schwarz, A. A., Jaipuriyar, V., Brisbin, C. D., Batchelder, A. W., Sullivan, T. P. & Jackson, S. D. (2023). “I know myself again, which makes me motivated for life”: Feasibility and acceptability of using experience sampling methods with trauma-exposed sexual minority women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231153888

Scheer, J. R., Lawlace, M., Cascalheira, C. J., Newcomb, M., & Whitton, S. W. (2022). Help-seeking for severe intimate partner violence among sexual and gender minority adolescents and young adults assigned female at birth: A latent class analysis. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(9-10), 6723-6750. https://doi.org/ 08862605221137711.

Helminen, E. C., Cascalheira, C. J., Shaw, T. J., Zollweg, S., Hughes, T. L., & Scheer, J. R. (2022). A latent class analysis of tailored substance use treatment programs: Implications for treating syndemic conditions facing sexual and gender minority populations. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109550

Scheer, J. R., Clark, K. A., McConocha, E., Wang, K., & Pachankis, J. E. (2022). Toward cognitive-behavioral therapy for sexual minority women: Voices from stakeholders and community members. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2022.02.019

Scheer, J. R., Batchelder, A. W., Bochicchio, L. A., Kidd, J. D., & Hughes, T. L. (2022). Alcohol use, behavioral and mental health help-seeking, and treatment satisfaction among sexual minority women. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 46(4), 641-656. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14789