Joint music sessions, parents, and their lesbian and gay young adult children: Effectiveness on the ‘coming out’ process, relationships, and wellbeing

Abstract

‘Coming out’ can be a psychologically challenging event and parental acceptance is often a prime concern. This article reports a study on the impact of music sessions delivered online and jointly for dyads of parents and their young adult children with lesbian and gay sexual identities in improving parental acceptance of sexual orientation, parent adult relationships, and wellbeing, compared to a waitlist control group. The music sessions were effective (Hedges’ g= −0.91 to 0.67; p < 0.05) and participants with higher formal education (postgraduate or professional degree), and whose intervention compliance was higher (>50% music sessions attended and homework sessions completed), were reported higher post-test scores on perceived parental support on sexual orientation, positive dimensions of parent adult relationships (warmth or affection, thoughtfulness, doing favors, and support of decisions made), and wellbeing, and lower post-test scores on negative dimensions of parent adult relationships (anger/hostility, insensitivity, demanding favors, and doubts on decisions made). Actor-partner interdependence models suggested that post-test outcome scores of parents and young adults were mutually interdependent and associated. With adequate emphasis on program compliance and some refinements for participant dyads with less formal education, music sessions enhance relationality and can be an effective family-based intervention for persons with diverse sexual identities.