Elsevier

Psychiatry Research

Volume 309, March 2022, 114391
Psychiatry Research

The impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ community: Comparisons between cisgender, heterosexual people, cisgender sexual minority people, and gender minority people

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114391Get rights and content

Highlights

  • There is a dearth of data on LGBTQ+ populations during the COVID pandemic.

  • Sexual and gender minority people report worsening life outcomes since COVID.

  • Gender minority people disclose the highest rates of worsening outcomes.

  • More research is needed to understand the impact of COVID on LGBTQ+ people.

Abstract

There is a dearth of public health data and research focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) populations during the coronavirus (“COVID”) pandemic. This study evaluated how COVID has impacted health, social, and occupational areas of functioning of the LGBTQ+ community. A community survey was distributed via email by local LGBTQ+ community organizations between September and December 2020. Participants (cisgender, heterosexual people, n = 63; cisgender sexual minority people, n = 184; and gender minority people, n = 74) were asked how COVID has impacted their life circumstances (i.e., physical health, mental health, financial stability, meeting basic needs, and social connectedness). A multivariate analysis of covariance was tested with these groups, demographic and HIV serostatus variables as independent variables and covariates, and outcomes as dependent variables. Compared to cisgender, heterosexual people, significantly more cisgender sexual minority people reported worsening physical health, and significantly more gender minority people reported worsening of all outcomes. Significantly more gender minority people reported worsening financial stability than cisgender sexual minority people. COVID has contributed to a worsening of life circumstances among the LGBTQ+ community, especially for gender minority people. More research is needed to create proactive, equitable, culturally-focused responses and interventions to pandemics.

Keywords

Coronavirus
Disparity
Financial hardship
Health
LGBTQ+
Mental health
Needs
Sociality

Abbreviations

LGBTQ+
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minorities
COVID
coronavirus disease

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