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Research Study Proposal Part C: Outline

Amy Wright

University of Phoenix

CCMH/525: Research Methods for Mental Health Counselors

Dr. Perepiczka

November 29, 2022

Introduction

Conversion therapy has a long and dark history in the United States and beyond. One of

the first records we have is in August of 1889 (Dickinson, 2015) when Albert von Schrenck-

Notzing who reported that he had cured a patient of homosexual desires using hypnotism (p 46).

In the annuls of conversion therapy there is evidence and documentation “treatments” consisting

of everything from insulin (used to induce comas) to castration, electroshock therapy to emetics

(Dickinson, 2015). The American Counseling Association has now come out with a statement

against the use of conversion therapy, stating that it is in direct conflict with the ACA Code of

Ethics (2017).

Study Design

While much research has been conducted that focuses on the effects of conversion

(reparative) therapy on adult males, there is far less data related to females who have undergone

this controversial treatment. It is the hope of this study to gain a clearer understanding of the

long-term mental health effects of conversion therapy on females who identify as non-

heterosexual.

Data Collection

Data collection will be completed using three main methods: surveys, interviews, and

records from other mental health professionals. The research will be conducted largely online.

Due to the nature of the study and the desire to have individuals from as many ethnic, racial, and

religious backgrounds as possible, collecting data in any other setting would require time and

resources beyond the means of this study. Subjects will be recruited using a combination of

online advertisements and word of mouth. Due to the unpredictable nature of this method of data

collection, any sample size obtainable over six months will be considered.
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Inclusion criteria will include female subjects who have received some form of

conversion or reparative therapy. Subjects must be over the age of 18 to participate. For the

purposes of this study, any female who identifies as non-heterosexual, or has at some point felt

“same-sex-attraction” will be included in the data.

Survey

The survey will be offered to all possible participants of the research trial. The first few

questions will be related to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with an early end to the survey

for those who do not meet the criteria. Data will be recorded directly in the survey software, with

final questions related to contact information for those willing to share it so that they can be

invited to participate in the interview process if they are willing.

• Current age

• Age at time of conversion therapy

• Gender

• Pre-conversion therapy sexual orientation

• Current sexual orientation

• Religious affiliation (if any) – current and previous

Questions will be aligned with those seen in similar studies. Most questions will be asked

once for results prior to conversion therapy, with a second round of the same questions for

current responses. These will be multiple choice questions with some answers being ranges

rather than exact numbers. There will also be open ended questions related to many of the same

topics, and comment sections for many of the questions.

• On a scale of strictly heterosexual to strictly homosexual, what are your feelings?

• On a scale of strictly heterosexual to strictly homosexual, what are your actions?

• How would you rate your mental health/depression/anxiety?

• Time/number of sessions spent in conversion therapy.

• Pressure from community to attend conversion therapy?

• Pressure from family to attend conversion therapy?

Interviews

Those participants who were willing to provide contact information to participate in the

interview process will be contacted to the extent possible. Depending on the sample size, the size

and resources of the research team, and the timeline it may not be possible to interview all

willing subjects, but the goal will be to interview as many as possible.

Consent forms will be acquired from all subjects prior to starting the interview, and

participants will be able to refuse any question or end the interview at any time. Any individual

who wishes to have their interview and data destroyed prior to publication may request such in

writing.

Interviews will center on the subjects’ experiences during conversion therapy, with the

methods and modalities used being explored. The feelings and physical sensations of the client

during the time spent in conversion therapy will also be explored. Additional questions about

current mental health including incidence of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidality will

also be included.

Record Review

Information for this record review will be obtained through previously published research

and data collected directly from other mental health professionals. Whenever possible the data

collected directly from other professionals will be obtained with as much detail as possible. If the
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data refers to ongoing clients who are willing to participate in the interview process, they will be

invited to do that as well.

Trustworthiness

The trustworthiness of the findings will be ensured in the areas of dependability,

credibility, and conformability in multiple ways. A peer debriefer will be used regularly to

ensure that the research team has an external check on the data interpretation (Sheperis et al.

2017). Looking at results from similar studies conducted in the past to see if the results are

consistent will also act as a check against misinterpretation of the data. One of the most pressing

things to consider in the process of this research will be the biases of the research team. It will be

critical for the team to be upfront about the motives, biases, and feelings that might affect the

way the research is approached (Sheperis et al. 2017).

Coding

Due to the nature of the research being conducted and the intended interview process,

line-by-line coding will be the most appropriate initial coding method (Sheperis et al. 2017). This

can then be followed up with more focused coding that follows the data, rather than the research

team trying to drive the results by planning ahead of time what to look for.

Conclusion

Previous research with similar goals has shown that males have had negative mental

health outcomes as a result of conversion therapy. It is assumed that this is transferable to

females as well, but the data does not yet exist. This study aims to add that data to the collective

research about the effects of conversion therapy. The potential exists for this study to grow and

continue, with additional subjects added to the data set as they come forward.
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Due to the nature of the research, the Journal Of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health is the

desired journal for publication of this study. The research result will also be sent to the ACA and

SAIGE with the goal of presenting at one or more conferences.

References

American Counseling Association. (2017, December 19). Resolution on Reparative

Therapy/Conversion Therapy/Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) as a Significant

and Serious Violation of the ACA Code of Ethics. counseling.org. Retrieved November

29, 2022, from https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/resolutions/reparative-

therapy-resoltution-letter--final.pdf?sfvrsn=d7ad512c_4

Dickinson, T. (2015). “Curing queers”: Mental nurses and their patients, 1935–74 (Nursing

History and Humanities) (1st ed.). Manchester University Press.

Graham, T. C. (2019, September 1). Conversion Therapy: A Brief Reflection on the History of

the Practice and Contemporary Regulatory Efforts. Creighton Law Review, 52(4), 419.

Sheperis, C., Young, D. J., & Daniels, M. (2017). Counseling research: Quantitative, qualitative,

and mixed methods (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.