Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Mar 29:4:1132768.
doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2023.1132768. eCollection 2023.

Impact of COVID-19 stress on the psychological health of sexual & gender minority individuals: A systematic review

Sumona Datta  1 , Tilottama Mukherjee  2
Affiliations
Review

Impact of COVID-19 stress on the psychological health of sexual & gender minority individuals: A systematic review

Sumona Datta et al. Front Glob Womens Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: The differential effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of the population around the globe is well documented. Social isolation, loss of job, financial crisis, and fear of infection due to the pandemic have widely affected people across countries, and the sexual and gender minority (SGM) group is no exception. However, the additional stressors like stigma, discrimination, rejection, non-acceptance, and violence associated with diverse sexual orientation complicated the situation for the SGM group in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Method: The present study conducted a systematic review of research (n = 16) investigating the impact of Covid-19 stress on the psychological health of SGM individuals. The review had two objectives: (a) to explore the effect of the stress associated with the pandemic on the psychological health of the SGM individuals; and (b) to identify potential stressors associated with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the mental health of SGM individuals. Studies were selected following a PRISMA protocol and several inclusion criteria.

Results: The review provided new insights into the mental health issues of the SGM individual in the Covid-19 context. The outcome of the review focused on five aspects: (a) depression and anxiety symptoms related to Covid-19 symptoms; (b) perceived social support and Covid-19 stress; (c) family support and psychological distress related to Covid-19; (d) Covid-19 stress and disordered eating, and (e) problem drinking and substance abuse associated with Covid-19 stress.

Discussion: The present review indicated a negative association between Covid-19 stress and psychological distress among sexual and gender minority individuals. The findings have important implications for psychologists and social workers working with this population and policymakers around the globe.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; LGBTQ+; Sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ) populations issues; anxiety; depression; stress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA framework representing the selection process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Holloway IW, Garner A, Tan D, Ochoa AM, Santos GM, Howell S. Associations between physical distancing and mental health, sexual health and technology use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Homosex. (2021) 68(4):692–708. 10.1080/00918369.2020.1868191 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Banerjee D, Rai M. Social isolation in COVID-19: the impact of loneliness. Int J Soc Psychiatry. (2020) 66(6):525–7. 10.1177/0020764020922269 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sahoo S, Rani S, Parveen S, Pal Singh A, Mehra A, Chakrabarti S, et al. Self-harm and COVID-19 pandemic: an emerging concern—a report of 2 cases from India. Asian J Psychiatr. (2020) 51:102104. 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102104 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sanchez TH, Zlotorzynska M, Rai M, Baral SD. Characterizing the impact of COVID-19 on men who have sex with men across the United States in April, 2020. AIDS Behav. (2020) 24(7):2024–32. 10.1007/s10461-020-02894-2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fish JN, Salerno J, Williams ND, Rinderknecht RG, Drotning KJ, Sayer L, et al. Sexual minority disparities in health and well-being as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic differ by sexual identity. LGBT Health. (2021) 8(4):263–72. 10.1089/lgbt.2020.0489 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources