ABSTRACT
Purpose: Previous research has established that LGBTQ+ young adults experience increased rates of mental health morbidity and substance use compared to their heterosexual peers. Recent research suggests these disparities are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic possibly due to barriers in receiving mental health treatment, instability in home environments, and other unique minority stressors. The current study examines group differences between LGBTQ+ and heterosexual/ undefined-sexuality young adults with longitudinal self-report data comparing pre- and duringpandemic timepoints. Three main aims are addressed comparing group differences: 1) Expected declines in alcohol involvement and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic post-college, 2) Experiences of stressors encountered during the pandemic, and 3) Pandemic-related stress exposure explaining alcohol involvement and depressive symptoms post-college. Methods: Participants (N = 138) completed a follow-up survey (“time 2”;summer 2021) to the REAL-U study administered to a larger sample of undergraduates (“time 1”;2015-2016). The followup survey assessed alcohol involvement, depressive symptoms, and certain stressors (loneliness, isolation, family-related). Sexual orientation was dichotomized into LGBTQ+ (n = 27) and heterosexual/ undefined (n = ). Results: Two path analyses tested whether isolation, loneliness, and family-related stressors mediate the association between sexual orientation and alcohol involvement (model 1;chi-square (4) = 4.65, p = 0.33;RMSEA = 0.03;CFA = 1.0) and depressive symptoms (model 2;chi-square (4) = 4.16, p = 0.38;RMSEA = 0.02;CFA = 1.0), controlling for race, age, and outcomes assessed at time 1. LGBTQ+ young adults showed greater family-related stress (b = 0.15;p = 0.06) and loneliness (b = 0.38;p < 0.01). Loneliness in turn predicted greater young adult alcohol involvement after controlling for collegiate alcohol involvement (b = 0.17;p = 0.03);but the indirect effect was not significant. However, the indirect effect was (marginally) significant in predicting time 2 depression (b = 0.09;p = 0.06), such that LGBTQ+ young adults reported greater loneliness in the pandemic (b = 0.29;p < 0.05) which predicted greater depression (b = 0.11;p < 0.05). Conclusions: LGBTQ+ young adults appear to experience greater levels of loneliness and familyrelated stress post-college in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, these stressors help explain heightened levels of depressive symptoms in young adulthood. Future research needs to explore more nuanced elements of loneliness and family-related stress to better understand why the LGBTQ+ population is particularly vulnerable to these stressors, which in turn can help guide clinical care and intervention for this unique population.