ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The outbreak of COVID-19 is severely affecting mental health worldwide. Minorities are more vulnerable than the general public to the physical, financial, and psychological effects of the current pandemic. In the current study, mental health among Israeli LGB individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was investigated. METHOD: One-hundred and 57 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals answered a questionnaire measuring COVID-19 stress, internalized homophobia, concealment, need of acceptance, anxiety, and depression. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses. RESULTS: All three measures of minority stress were positively related to anxiety and depression. In addition, indirect associations were found between concealment and need of acceptance, and anxiety and depression, through stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The findings emphasize the ubiquity of minority stress, support the psychological mediation framework, and underline the need to investigate the effect of general and minority stress on the mental health of LGB individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies used to cope with the outbreak intensified health, social and economic inequities within society. In particular, psychological problems of different types were experienced by the LGBT community. Previous research has shown that sexual minorities often have more limited access to health care services due to discrimination resulting from lack of cultural responsiveness among health care professionals to the special needs of this sub-group. Pandemic officials failed to recognize the unique needs and concerns of LGBT individuals. As such, it is recommended that, in the future, LGBT persons should be provided with online work, education, and mental health services, as well as mental health services. In particular, emphasis needs to be placed on social support which is a major problem for a minority group during a major crisis affecting a large swath of the population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies used to cope with the outbreak intensified health, social and economic inequities within society. In particular, psychological problems of different types were experienced by the LGBT community. Previous research has shown that sexual minorities often have more limited access to health care services due to discrimination resulting from lack of cultural responsiveness among health care professionals to the special needs of this sub-group. Pandemic officials failed to recognize the unique needs and concerns of LGBT individuals. As such, it is recommended that, in the future, LGBT persons should be provided with online work, education, and mental health services, as well as mental health services. In particular, emphasis needs to be placed on social support which is a major problem for a minority group during a major crisis affecting a large swath of the population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)