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. 2022 Jul;9(5):359-367.
doi: 10.1089/lgbt.2021.0276. Epub 2022 May 18.

Mental Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Frontline Health Care Workers During the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hailey Wojcik  1   2 , Aaron S Breslow  2   3 , Marla R Fisher  2   3 , Caryn R R Rodgers  2   4 , Patryk Kubiszewski  2   3 , Vilma Gabbay  3   5
Affiliations

Mental Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Frontline Health Care Workers During the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hailey Wojcik et al. LGBT Health. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: This study measured mental health disparities in a Bronx, New York sample of frontline health care workers collected May-July, 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Using survey data (N = 741), we compared demographics, COVID-19 stressors, and adverse mental health outcomes between sexual and gender minority (SGM, n = 102) and non-SGM (n = 639) health care workers through chi-square/Kruskal-Wallis tests, crude/adjusted odds, and prevalence ratios. Results: SGM frontline health care workers had significantly higher depression, anxiety, impact of COVID-19, and psychological distress. Income (lower), age (younger), and COVID-19 stressors accelerated differences. Conclusion: Health care systems should support SGM frontline health care workers through affirming trauma-informed programming.

Keywords: gender identity; health disparities; mental health; sexual orientation.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Unadjusted prevalence of adverse mental health outcomes among sexual and gender minority and non sexual and gender minority frontline health care workers. *Indicates significant difference between groups at the 0.05 level in terms of univariate unadjusted odds ratios.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Adjusted odds ratios of adverse mental health outcomes for sexual and gender minority (reference: non sexual and gender minority) frontline health care workers, adjusting for demographics and COVID-19 stressors.
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