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Cited by 49COVID-19 and Mental HealthLGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyHealth disparities and outcomes

Comparing the Impact of COVID-19-Related Social Distancing on Mood and Psychiatric Indicators in Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) and Non-SGM Individuals

Open access
Rodriguez-Seijas, Craig, Fields, Eric C., Bottary, Ryan, Kark, Sarah M., Goldstein, Michael R., Kensinger, Elizabeth A., Payne, Jessica D., Cunningham, Tony J.·2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry
DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318PMC PMC7783401
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Abstract

Empirical evidence demonstrates mental health disparities between sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) compared with cisgender heterosexual individuals. SGM individuals report elevated rates of emotional distress, symptoms related to mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Social support is inversely related to psychiatric symptoms, regardless of SGM status. The COVID-19 pandemic—with its associated limited social interactions—represents an unprecedented period of acute distress with potential reductions in accessibility of social support, which might be of particular concern for SGM individuals' mental well-being. In the present study, we explored the extent to which potential changes in mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, worry, perceived stress, positive and negative affect) throughout the duration of the pandemic were related to differences in perceptions of social support and engagement in virtual social activity, as a function of SGM status. Utilizing a large sample of US adults (N = 1,014; 18% reported SGM status), we assessed psychiatric symptoms, perceptions of social isolation, and amount of time spent socializing virtually at 3 time windows during the pandemic (between March 21 and May 21). Although SGM individuals reported greater levels of depression compared with non-SGM individuals at all 3 time points, there was no interaction between time and SGM status. Across all participants, mental health outcomes improved across time. Perceived social isolation was associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Further, time spent engaging in virtual socialization was associated with reduced depression, but only for those in self-reported quarantine. We discuss these results in terms of the nature of our sample and its impact on the generalizability of these findings to other SGM samples as well as directions for future research aimed at understanding potential health disparities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  • Such disparities do not increase as a function of the duration of the pandemic.

    “although such disparities do not increase as a function of the duration of the pandemic (Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2020).”

    From Young Adult Adaptability to the Social Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Friendships (2022) · cites this paper as Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2020

    The Results (Model 1: Effects of SGM and Time; page not available) report no significant SGM-status-by-time interaction across three assessment windows, supporting the claim for the period studied. The Limitations describe those data as a snapshot of the pandemic’s first wave and caution that prolonged stressors might affect groups differently. The source therefore does not establish that disparities would not increase over the pandemic’s longer duration. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Rodriguez-Seijas and colleagues (2020) did not find support for increasing mental disparities during the pandemic between heterosexual and sexual minorities.

    “Testing such moderation hypothesis between heterosexual and sexual minorities, Rodriguez-Seijas and colleagues (2020) did not find any support for increasing mental disparities during the pandemic.”

    From Young Adult Adaptability to the Social Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Friendships (2022) · cites this paper as Rodriguez-Seijas et al., 2020

    The Discussion reports that mental-health outcomes changed at similar rates for SGM and cisgender heterosexual participants during the initial U.S. pandemic response, supporting the claim that the study found no widening disparity. However, the Limitations state that the authors could not analyze sexual and gender minorities separately, so the finding is not specific to sexual minorities. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Authors
Rodriguez-Seijas, C., Fields, E. C., Bottary, R., Kark, S. M., Goldstein, M. R., Kensinger, E. A., Payne, J. D., & Cunningham, T. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Boston College (US)
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • University of Notre Dame (US)
Corresponding author
Cunningham, Tony J.
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2020-12-22
Volume
11
Pages
590318-590318
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318
PMC
PMC7783401
OpenAlex
W3114126182
Cited by
49
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 10
FWCI
3.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Boston College
  • Brandeis University (NIH NRSA T32 NS007292)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH T32, NRSA T32)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL007901)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (T32NS007292)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, sexual and gender minorities, mental health disparities, depressive symptoms, perceived social isolation, social support, virtual socialization, quarantine, anxiety, positive and negative affect, mood

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