Investigating the Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Among the Sexual and Gender Minority Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to utilize a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the existing body of literature to understand the mental health impacts of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic among sexual and gender minority (SGM) people. Methods: The search strategy was developed by an experienced librarian and used five bibliographical databases, specifically PubMed, Embase, APA PsycINFO (EBSCO), Web of Science, and LGBTQ+ Source (EBSCO), for studies (published 2020 to June, 2021) examining the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among SGM people. Articles were screened by two reviewers. The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational studies. A double extraction method was used for data abstraction. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model was utilized to obtain the pooled prevalence. Publication bias was assessed by Funnel plot and Egger's linear regression test. Results: Of a total of 37 studies, 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis with 17,973 SGM participants. Sixteen studies were U.S. based, seven studies were multinational studies, and the remaining studies were from Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, and several other countries. A majority of studies used psychometric valid tools for the cross-sectional surveys. The pooled prevalence of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation was 58.6%, 57.6%, 52.7%, and 28.8%, respectively. Conclusions: Findings of this study serve as evidence to develop appropriate interventions to promote psychological wellbeing among vulnerable population subgroups, such as SGM individuals.

Impact of COVID-19 on Sexual and Gender Minority Communities: Focus Group Discussions.

BACKGROUND: People who identify as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experienced disproportionate economic and mental health issues related to COVID-19 when compared to the general population. The purpose of this study was to better understand how COVID-19 has impacted the SGM community and ways to address vaccine hesitancy. METHODS: Three focus groups were conducted with 21 members of the SGM community between 5 November and 10 December 2020. A thematic analysis using the reflexive approach was applied to the transcripts of the focus groups. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (1) Impact of COVID-19 on the Community, (2) Perceptions of Contact Tracing and Testing, (3) Perceptions of a Potential COVID-19 Vaccine, and (4) Decreasing Vaccine Hesitancy. The most relevant subthemes were that social isolation led to anxiety, stress, and fear in the SGM community during COVID-19; resilience and adaptation were positive outcomes of the pandemic; histories of medical racism contributed to hesitancy to get tested; and specific messaging from trusted messengers may be needed to encourage SGM communities to get vaccinated. These findings support other COVID-19 research on the SGM community during the start of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into the impact of the early stages of COVID-19 on the SGM community, highlighting the unique hurdles faced by SGM individuals with regard to contact tracing and vaccine hesitancy.

Assessing Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among Parents of Children Returning to K-12 Schools: A U.S. Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: While impacts of the pandemic on family well-being have been documented in the literature, little is known about the psychological challenges faced by children and their parents as schools reopen after mandated closures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if sending children back to in-person school impacts the mental health of parents and the perceived mental health of their children. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited a nationally representative, non-probability sample of parents or guardians (n = 2100) of children attending grades K-12 in the United States (U.S.) through a 58-item web-based survey. The univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean scores of parental Coronavirus anxiety and Coronavirus obsession were significantly different between race/ethnic groups of parents. Parents with children going to private schools had significantly higher mean scores for Coronavirus anxiety and obsession compared to parents whose children are attending public schools. Nearly 55% of parental Coronavirus anxiety was explained by the generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, child's vulnerability to infection, and school type of the child. Similarly, 52% of parental Coronavirus obsession was explained by the generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, child's vulnerability to infection, and social phobia of the children. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on psychological well-being of parents and their school-going children. Findings of this study will inform policy makers in developing targeted interventions to address unique needs of families with school-going children.