About the BEAMS Study
The Belongingness, Exclusion, And Meth and Sex (BEAMS) Study is being conducted by Graham Berlin, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. The study aims to understand how online belongingness and exclusion affects the methamphetamine use of gay, bi, and queer men.
Research has consistently shown that gay, bi, and queer-identified men use methamphetamine more than the general population and often use it before and during sex. This is commonly referred to as Party and Play, PnP, or chemsex. There are many reasons why gay, bi, and queer-identified men use methamphetamine, but few theoretical frameworks and specific processes have been tested in large samples of gay, bi, and queer men-identified men. Such studies are necessary for improving our understanding of the affective (emotions), cognitive (thoughts/beliefs), and behavioural (actions/urges) processes involved in methamphetamine use. An understanding of these processes can help to inform the development of interventions and harm reduction services that meet the unique needs of gay, bi, and queer-identified men who use methamphetamine. This study seeks to identify some of these processes and how they may be linked to different types of methamphetamine use. Specifically, this project aims to identify processes that differentiate adaptive methamphetamine use from methamphetamine use that is causing problems for the individual (e.g., interfering in social, daily, or occupational functioning).
If you are interested in participating, please head to the BEAMS Study page to see if you are eligible, what's involved, and the risks and benefits of participating.
Meet the Researchers
Graham Berlin, M.A. and Dr. Trevor Hart, C.Psych are the researchers conducting the BEAMS Study. Graham is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University and a member of the HIV Prevention Lab. Dr. Hart leads the HIV Prevention Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University with affiliations at the University of Toronto. He has been conducting sexual and mental health research with gay, bi, and queer men for over 20 years.
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Graham Berlin, M.A.
Principal Investigator
Graham Berlin is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. He has been researching gay, bi, and queer-identified men for over 6 years and has collaborated with researchers in Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto for these projects. Graham has conducted interviews with numerous guys who use methamphetamine as well as individuals who provide services to those who use methamphetamine. He has published academic articles on the topic, presented findings at academic conferences, and co-authored community reports.
Dr. Trevor Hart, C. Psych
Co-Prinicipal Investigator and Supervisor
Dr. Hart is a clinical psychologist, associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and director of the HIV Prevention Lab. He has been conducting research related to the mental and sexual health of gay, bi, and queer-identified men (GBQM) for over 20 years. In addition to supervising the BEAMS Study, Dr. Hart is a principal investigator of the Engage Cohort Study, a 5 year longitudinal study of Canadian GBQM's sexual and mental health, and Sexual Confidence, a randomized controlled trial comparing two forms of therapy for GBQM with social anxiety disorder.