The Journal of Social Work Practice in Addictions has awarded Jeremy Goldbach, an assistant professor at the USC School of Social Work, an honorable mention for his dissertation, “Toward the Prevention of Substance Use in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth.”

The journal annually recognizes the best social work dissertations that present new developments in the field of addictions.

“Youth who identify as LGBT have been vastly underrepresented in research. It’s nice to know that I’ve been able to make a contribution,” Goldbach said.  “I hope my dissertation will spur others’ interests in this area of work.”

Goldbach conducted group interviews with 15 adolescents at a drop-in center in Austin, Texas, to determine the stresses in their lives as a result of identifying as an LGBT teenager. The youth also participated in focus groups by discussing how their experiences related to their decisions concerning drug and alcohol use. In addition, Goldbach utilized OUTProud, a national association that supports LGBT adolescents, to supplement his findings from the interviews.

He intends to gain a better understanding of the difficulties LGBT youth undergo by using his research to develop a measuring system for their stress. He hopes a more accurate method of assessment will lead to effective intervention tools for LGBT teenagers who struggle with substance use.

Goldbach joined USC this past summer upon completing his PhD and Master of Science in Social Work degrees at the University of Texas-Austin, where he was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, specializing in prevention science.

His dissertation will be acknowledged at a reception during the journal’s board meeting in November, to be held in conjunction with the Council on Social Work Education’s Annual Program Meeting in Washington, D.C.