Bridges: A digital intervention to increase workplace belonging

Belonging is an integral part of the human experience and a paramount human need and motivation. A robust sense of belonging can serve to improve mental and physical health, as well as resilience. Thwarted belonging— the antithesis of belonging—and the feelings/experiences it foments (e.g., alienation, rejection, social isolation, loneliness, and marginality) are often antecedents to poor mental and physical health outcomes. Individuals who possess marginalized identities—such as members of the LGBTQ+ community who possess marginalized sexual and gender identities—encounter high rates of discrimination and stigma, which account for experiences of thwarted belonging and disparities in health and well-being. In an increasingly polarized world, workplaces serve as important sources of belonging for their employees; however, members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to experience thwarted belonging as many organizations lack the policies and procedures necessary to make LGBTQ+ workers feel safe, connected, and included. As a result of organizational cultures often being founded on heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions, LGBTQ+ individuals are forced to confront dominant workplace cultures that are unwelcoming. The transformation of the workplace, as precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, further hinders LGBTQ+ workers’ pursuit of belonging in the workplace in that it has led to an increase in burnout and, often, a reduction in the possibilities for work-based social connections. While interventions to promote workplace belonging among LGBTQ+ workers would address an important unmet public health need, existing solutions consist of a number of gaps that limit effectiveness and applicability to LGBTQ+ workers. The proposed research will employ a participatory design approach to create and examine the acceptability and preliminary effects of Bridges: an advanced Learning Management System and messaging program that will leverage insights from behavior change science to address thwarted belongingness among LGBTQ+ workers. Bridges will use proven approaches to behavior change tailoring to increase belongingness through delivering interactive behavior change communications and activities, providing a platform to facilitate sharing of personalized stories and opportunities to engage in ongoing discussions and self-appraisal, and providing actionable tips for addressing belonging within the workplace. The design and development of Bridges will be informed by extensive and ongoing end-user input from 12 LGBTQ+ worker advisors. One hundred and twenty-nine LGBTQ+ workers will be recruited for a 30-day pilot test. Phase I milestones will include: 1) feasibility as evidenced by continued receipt of text messages for the 30-day pilot period and one or more interactions with the online tools by at least 75% of study participants; 2) acceptability of the program, as evidenced by obtaining a minimum rating over 69 on the System Usability Scale and 75% endorsement that users would recommend to a colleague; and 3) preliminary efficacy as evidenced by improved professional fulfillment.