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New Study Finds imi Boosts Positive Coping Skills and Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Youth

Aug 10, 2022

We have exciting news to share about imi—promising early findings from a randomized controlled trial were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) indicating that imi boosts positive coping skills and mindsets that are important for supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. 

Our partners at Hopelab along with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Program on Sexuality, Technology, and Action Research (PSTAR) conducted the study to understand how imi supports the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. The results are particularly exciting, given that imi is a free resource for anyone with an Internet connection. We are hopeful that this research will build even more trust in the product with queer youth; ensuring that more LGBTQ+ teens have access to a freely-accessible, on-demand, confidential tool that helps them explore and affirm their diverse and intersectional identities and cope with sexual and gender minority stress. 

Explore imi Here

If you’d like to learn more about the study learn more at imi.guide/research. 

imi; not just for Pride Month 

We launched imi in June, in time to celebrate Pride, and we are so grateful for your support in spreading the word about this free, mental health tool for queer youth. Since launch, we’ve seen about 20K new users to the site, have gained 1000 followers on Instagram! We’ve garnered top-tier media coverage in Forbes, Essence, and Psychology Today and have gained the attention of celebs like Alyson Stoner (who hosted an IG Live featuring imi in July). 

Super exciting! And there’s still more work to be done: 

If you’re not already, please follow imi on Instagram @imiguide for a dose of complementary, youth-led content that is sure to queer up your feed! And share the intervention at https://imi.guide. 

Spread Queer Joy! 

We’d love your help in spreading the word about these important research findings and about imi guide! Will you consider sharing the news across your social media feed? Please find a toolkit of shareable resources for you to use/adapt for your channels. 

  • Social media posts 
  • Graphics 
  • newsletter/email template 

Please reach out to me or to the Hopelab communications team (Robin Raskob) if you have any questions or need any support with the amplification kit. 

Thank you for your support.