Addressing Minority Stress and Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in China

Sun, Shufang; Pachankis, John E.; Li, Xiaoming; Operario, Don

doi:10.1007/s11904-019-00479-w

Cited by 95 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 144 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

104

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Coupled with the high prevalence of HIV among MSM in China, MSM suffer from a double stigma. All of these factors contribute to the higher prevalence of psychological problems among MSM in China than in other countries (UNDP, 2016;Sun et al, 2020). The summary prevalence of anxiety symptoms among all MSM was 32.2% (12.2-57.6%), with a higher prevalence among MB (46.6%) and HIV-positive MSM (38.7%).…”

Section: Main Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These social and cultural characteristics create a heteronormative and stigmatising environment for Chinese MSM, detrimental to their mental health. A recent review indicated that Chinese MSM have a high prevalence of several mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviour and alcohol abuse, which can be explained by minority stress (Sun et al ., 2020). These psychological problems are conducive to the ‘syndemic’ conditions surrounding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission risk behaviours and indirectly contribute to the high prevalence of HIV among MSM (Tsai and Burns, 2015; Safren et al ., 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and suicide among men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Dong

Wang

You

et al. 2020

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aims Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for depression, anxiety and suicide. The estimated prevalence of these problems is essential to guide public health policy, but published results vary. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and suicide among Chinese MSM. Methods Systematic searches of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases with languages restricted to Chinese and English for studies published before 10 September 2019 on the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicide plans and suicide attempts among Chinese MSM. Studies that were published in the peer-reviewed journals and used validated instruments to assess depression and anxiety were included. The characteristics of studies and the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicide plans and suicide attempts were independently extracted by authors. Random-effects modelling was used to estimate the pooled rates. Subgroup analysis and univariate meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. This study followed the PRISMA and MOOSE. Results Sixty-seven studies were included. Fifty-two studies reported the prevalence of depressive symptoms, with a combined sample of 37 376 people, of whom 12 887 [43.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 38.9–47.5] reported depressive symptoms. Twenty-seven studies reported the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, with a combined sample of 10 531 people, of whom 3187 (32.2%; 95% CI, 28.3–36.6) reported anxiety symptoms. Twenty-three studies reported the prevalence of suicidal ideation, with a combined sample of 15 034 people, of whom 3416 (21.2%; 95% CI, 18.3–24.5) had suicidal ideation. Nine studies reported the prevalence of suicide plans, with a combined sample of 5271 people, of whom 401 (6.2%; 95% CI, 3.9–8.6) had suicide plans. Finally, 19 studies reported the prevalence of suicide attempts, with a combined sample of 27 936 people, of whom 1829 (7.3%; 95% CI, 5.6–9.0) had attempted suicide. Conclusions The mental health of Chinese MSM is poor compared with the general population. Efforts are warranted to develop interventions to prevent and alleviate mental health problems among this vulnerable population.

show abstract

Section: Main Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and suicide among men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Dong

Wang

You

et al. 2020

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Due to the growing prevalence of HIV infection among them [5], the mental health of men who have sex with men (MSM) has become a topic of increasing interest. Multiple studies have summarized that MSM with HIV infection are more vulnerable to experience mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety, compared to the general population [6][7][8]. Moreover, studies have also shown that HIV-positive MSM have worse mental health than other HIV-positive populations [9,10], while some research found no difference [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Disparities in Mental Health Between Gay and Bisexual Men Following Positive HIV Diagnosis in China: A One-Year Follow-Up Study

Luo

Silenzio

Huang

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed to determine the change in mental health (depression and anxiety) among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men (GBM) one year after diagnosis and the disparities in trajectories of mental health between them. The potential factors contributing to the disparities were also investigated. This was a one-year follow-up study focusing on the mental health of newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals. Participants rated their depression, anxiety, stress, and social support levels at baseline and one year later. Information on the utilization of mental healthcare and the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) after diagnosis was collected at one-year follow-up. A total of 171 and 87 HIV-positive gay and bisexual men, respectively, completed two-time points surveys in this study. The depressive and anxiety symptoms experienced by HIV-positive GBM improvement one year after diagnosis. These improvements tended to be smaller in gay participants. Other factors including mental health care utilization and ART status during the one-year follow-up period, changes in social stress scores and objective social support scores were also associated with the changes in depression and anxiety, and all these factors, except for change in objective support, were found to be statistically different between HIV-positive GBM. Special attention should be given to the mental health of HIV-positive gay men. Promoting HIV-positive gay men to assess to mental health services and ART may be important for these populations to improve mental health. Enhancing social support and reducing stress levels may also be necessary for the vulnerable HIV-positive sexual minority groups.

show abstract

“…In Australia, Asian-born gbMSM are more likely to have advanced HIV upon diagnosis but to report fewer numbers of male sexual partners compared to Australian-born gbMSM [17]. This may indicate an underlying stigma related to HIV and sexual identity, particularly given the reported prevalence of such stigma in several Asian countries [18][19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Moving from one environment to another, it doesn’t automatically change everything”. Exploring the transnational experience of Asian-born gay and bisexual men who have sex with men newly arrived in Australia

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Asian-born gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) who are newly arrived in Australia are at a higher risk of acquiring HIV than Australian-born gbMSM. We used a social constructionist framework to explore HIV knowledge and prevention strategies used by newly-arrived Asian-born gbMSM. Twenty four Asian-born gbMSM, aged 20–34 years, attending Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, who arrived in Australia in the preceding five years, participated in semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Participants described hiding their sexual identities in their country of origin, particularly from family members, due to fear of judgement and discrimination resulting from exposure to sexual identity and HIV related stigma in their countries of origin, although some were open to friends. Despite feeling more sexual freedom and acceptance in Australia, many were still not forthcoming with their sexual identity due to internalised feelings of stigma and shame. Exposure to stigma in their country of origin led many to report anxiety around HIV testing in Australia due to a fear of testing positive. Some described experiencing racism and lack of acceptance in the gay community in Australia, particularly on dating apps. Fear of discrimination and judgement about their sexual identity can have a significant impact on Asian-born gbMSM living in Australia, particularly in terms of social connectedness. Additionally, HIV-related stigma can contribute to anxieties around HIV testing. Our data highlights the potential discrimination Asian-born gbMSM face in Australia, which has implications for social connectedness, particularly with regard to LGBTQI communities and HIV testing practices. Future studies should determine effective strategies to reduce sexual identity and HIV-related stigma in newly-arrived Asian-born gbMSM.

show abstract

Addressing Minority Stress and Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in China

Cited by 95 publications

References 144 publications

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and suicide among men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and suicide among men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The Disparities in Mental Health Between Gay and Bisexual Men Following Positive HIV Diagnosis in China: A One-Year Follow-Up Study

“Moving from one environment to another, it doesn’t automatically change everything”. Exploring the transnational experience of Asian-born gay and bisexual men who have sex with men newly arrived in Australia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About