(221) Impacts of COVID 19 on the Mental Health of LGBTQIA+ People: An Integrative Review
Authors: Lima V , Lucena B 
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The pandemic scenario is a global crisis that has affected not only the physical/biological dimension, but also aspects of mental health and well-being. Even prior to the pandemic, sexual and gender minorities have experienced acts of prejudice and discrimination. These actions result in social exclusion through low employability rates, high unemployment rates, difficulty in accessing housing, food, health care, as well as the shortage of qualified professionals to meet the demands of this specific population. For this reason, some groups are in a position of greater vulnerability facing the COVID-19 crisis, such as the LGBTQIA+ community.

Objective

This integrative review aimed to verify the impacts of the pandemic context on the mental health of the LGBTQIA+ people, seeking to assess the mental health conditions and well-being of this population in the pandemic.

Methods

Characterized as an integrative review with a qualitative approach, with a descriptive and transversal scope. The inclusion criteria were: 1) to present a relation between LGBTQIA+ people and the COVID-19 pandemic context; 2) to address aspects of mental health in LGBTQIA+ people during the COVID-19 pandemic, 3) to include empirical data. The exclusion criteria were: 1) review articles, clinical trials or editorial letters; 2) articles that are not in Portuguese or English; 3) articles that address stressors in a decontextualized way of the COVID-19 pandemic; 4) Duplicate articles. Therefore, we used the descriptors “Sexual and Gender Minorities”, “COVID19”, “COVID-19”, “Pandemic”, “Mental Health”, “Depression”, “Anxiety” “Stress”, “Distress”, “Gay”, “Lesbian”, “Trans” and “Minority Stress” on scientific databases (PubMed and Scientific Electronic Library Online). The initial research resulted in 307 registers that were filtered using the Rayyan software, this process was described using a PRISM flowchart. The final sample consisted in 30 articles that were analyzed using Bardin's content analysis.

Results

Five categories emerged through content analysis: 1) Negative outcomes in mental health, well-being and happiness; 2) Access to physical and psychological health care; 3) Coping strategies, alcohol and other substances use; 4) Economic damage and precarious living conditions and 5) Different experiences and vulnerabilities within the LGBTQIA+ community. Significant relations were found between specific stressors regarding the experience of sexual and gender minorities, such as discrimination, stigmatization from parents and relatives, inability to express one's own gender or sexual orientation, distancing from a support network and community and high rates of symptoms related to stress, anxiety, depression and suicidality, as well as low rates of well-being and happiness.

Conclusions

This study encourages future studies that provide a broader and, at the same time, more detailed view of this population, contemplating people from different socioeconomic contexts and ethnoracial characteristics, as well as delving into the realities of the various identities of each letter within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Disclosure

No