The largest and most thorough study to date seeking to understand healthy and sustainable life paths for sexual minorities, including faith-based individuals.

The 4 Options Survey (2017) is to date the largest and most thorough study seeking to understand healthy and sustainable life paths for sexual minorities, including faith-based individuals to investigate if or how religious/spiritual issues are involved in respondents’ level of satisfaction and relationship or single status.

This survey was designed to identify important aspects of life and relationships for those who experience (or have experienced) same-sex sexual attractions and identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer (LGBQ), heterosexual, or with another sexual identity or reject a label, and analyze if there are any similarities or differences between those who are: 1) Single and celibate; 2) Single and not celibate; 3) In a heterosexual/mixed-orientation relationship; or 4) In a same-sex relationship.

Building on the success of the original 4 Options Survey in 2017, which provided invaluable insights and raised significant new questions—19 peer-reviewed articles have been published from the collected data—we are launching a new and updated study in 2024. Our 2024 study aims to delve deeper into the initial findings.

Sexuality and sexual identity can be personally sensitive and politically divisive. In order to be as comprehensive and inclusive as possible of different individuals’ and communities’ experiences, an ideologically diverse research team assembled to collaborate in the spirit of the work of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and others in speaking to the importance of political diversity to advancing social science (see “Political diversity will improve social psychological science,” Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 38, 1-58).

News & Magazine Articles Featuring the 4 Options Survey: 

• Salt Lake Tribune, “‘Mormon Land’: Therapists unite in a quest for common ground on divisive LGBTQ issues from conversion therapy to mixed-orientation marriages,” Salt Lake Tribune (March 20, 2019)
• LDS Living Staff, “Groundbreaking Study Seeks to Support Mormons Experiencing Same-Sex Attraction,” LDS Living (May 30, 2017)
• Peggy Fletcher Stack, “Opposing sides in Mormon rift unite for survey seeking deeper understanding of gays,” Salt Lake Tribune (March 5, 2017)
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‍Peer-Reviewed Research Based on 4 Options Survey Results: 

This following are the results of two distinct studies. The first section encompasses peer-reviewed articles summarizing data from the 4 Options Survey conducted in 2017.

Following this, a specific subset of the data was selected for further study. This subset included participants who had been baptized as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at some point in their lives and consented to be part of a 10-year longitudinal study. This longitudinal component involves biennial follow-ups with the participants, allowing for an in-depth exploration of their experiences and perspectives over time.

Phase II data of the 4 Options Survey (2017)

• Rosik, C. H., Lefevor, G. T., & Beckstead, A. L. (2023). Sexual minorities responding to sexual orientation distress: Examining 33 methods and the effects of sexual identity labeling and theological viewpoint. Spirituality and Clinical Practice, 10(3), 245-260.
• Rosik, C. H., Lefevor, G. T., McGraw, J. S., & Beckstead, A. L. (2022). Is conservative religiousness inherently associated with poorer health for sexual minorities? Journal of Religion and Health, 61(1), 3055-3075. 
• Lefevor, G. T., Skidmore, S. J., McGraw, J. S., Davis, E. B., & Mansfield, T. R. (2022). Religiousness and minority stress in conservatively religious sexual minorities: Lessons from Latter-day Saints. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 32(4), 289-305.
• Rosik. C. H., Lefevor, G. T.., & Beckstead, A. L. (2021). Sexual minorities who reject an LGB identity. Issues in Law and Medicine, 36(1), 27-43. PMID: 33939341 
• Lefevor, G. T., Schow, R. L., Beckstead, A. L., Raynes, M., Young, N. T., & Rosik, C. H. (2021). Domains related to single/relationship status satisfaction among sexual minorities raised conservatively religious. Spirituality and Clinical Practice, 8(2), 112-131.
• Bridges, J. G., Lefevor, G. T., Schow, R. L., & Rosik, C. H. (2020). Identity affirmation and mental health among sexual minorities: A raised-Mormon sample. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 16(3), 293-311. 
• Lefevor, G. T., Sorrell, S. A., Kappers, G., Plunk, A., Schow, R. L., Rosik, C. H., & Beckstead, A. L. (2020). Same-sex attracted, not LGBQ: The implications of sexual identity labeling on religiosity, sexuality, and health among Mormons. The Journal of Homosexuality, 67(7), 940-964.
• Bridges, J. G., Lefevor, G. T., & Schow, R. L. (2019). Sexual satisfaction and mental health in mixed-orientation relationships: A Mormon sample of sexual minority partners. Journal of Bisexuality, 19(4), 515-538.
• Lefevor, G. T., Blaber, I. P., Huffman, C. E., Schow, R. L., Beckstead, A. L., Raynes, M., & Rosik, C. H. (2019). The role of religiousness and beliefs about sexuality in well-being among sexual minority Mormons. The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(4), 460-470.
• Lefevor, G. T., Beckstead, A. L., Schow, R. L., Raynes, M., Mansfield, T. R., & Rosik, C. H. (2019). Satisfaction and health within four sexual identity relationship options. The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 45(5), 355-369. 

10-Year Longitudinal Study, Wave 1 — Baseline Data

• Skidmore, S. J., Sorrell, S. A., & Lefevor, G. T. (2023). Attachment, minority stress, and health outcomes among conservatively religious sexual minorities. Journal of Homosexuality, 70(3), 3171-3191. 
• McGraw, J. S., Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., Docherty, M., & Mahoney, A. (2023). Affirming and non-affirming religious beliefs predicting depression and suicide risk among Latter-day Saint sexual minorities. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70(3), 293-306.
• Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., Larsen, E. R., Golightly, R. M., & Abreu, R. L. (2023). “We are scared of being kicked out of our religion!”: Common challenges and benefits for sexual minority Latter-day Saints. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 10(4), 663-674.
• Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., Golightly, R. M., & Larsen, E. R. (2023). Religious sexual minorities, belongingness, and suicide risk: Does it matter where belongingness comes from? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(3), 356-366.
• Lefevor, G. T., McGraw, J. S., & Skidmore, S. J. (2022). Suicidal ideation among active and nonactive/former Latter-day Saint sexual minorities. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(1), 445-464.

10-Year Longitudinal Study, Wave 2 — 2 Years Post-Baseline

• Skidmore, S. J., Lefevor, G. T., Huynh, K. D.., & Berg, C. O. (2023). Development and validation of scales for coming out hypervigilance and positive coming out responses. Sexuality and Culture. Advance online publication. 
• Lefevor, G. T. (2023). Sexuality, religiousness, and mental health among sexual minority Latter-day Saints in other-gender relationships. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 49(8), 1013-1028. 
• Lefevor, G. T., Skidmore, S. J., Huynh, K. D., & McGraw, J. S. (2023). The Impact of Changes in Religion on Health Among Sexual Minority Mormons. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 33(3), 214-229.
• Lefevor, G. T., Meter, D. J., & Skidmore, S. J. (2023). Ways to navigate sexual minority and Latter-day Saint identities: A latent profile analysis. The Counseling Psychologist, 51(3), 368-394.