LGBTQ+ people and COVID-19: The importance of resilience during a pandemic.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately impacted people from marginalized communities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQϩ) people, adding to existing social and economic inequities experienced by LGBTQϩ community members. Given the vulnerabilities of LGBTQϩ populations, it is important for researchers to identify pandemic-related stressors that may affect the psychological and physiological well-being of LGBTQϩ people and how coping and resilience strategies may mitigate or buffer the negative psychological effects of pandemicrelated stressors. The present study was conducted to identify ways that researchers and helping professionals may intervene to support LGBTQϩ people during the pandemic. The study was crosssectional and survey based, and it included 220 participants from the United States who self-identified as LGBTQϩ. Using a moderated mediation model, the researchers evaluated whether resilience moderates the association between pandemic concerns and general anxiety symptoms when anxiety is included as a mediator of the effect of pandemic concerns on physiological symptoms of distress. The primary hypothesis, that higher levels of resilience would weaken the effect of pandemic concerns on anxiety, was supported and the full model was significant, F(3, 216) ϭ 27.98, p Ͻ .001. These findings indicate that resilience buffers the negative effect of COVID-19 pandemic concerns on anxiety and other health indicators. Implications for helping professionals and advocates are discussed, particularly regarding ways that resilience may be harnessed as a way to buffer the impact of pandemic concerns on already elevated rates of distress in LGBTQϩ populations. Public Significance StatementThis study indicates that resilience buffers the negative effect of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic concerns on anxiety and other health indicators in a sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQϩ) people. The findings suggest that increasing resilience in LGBTQϩ populations may be an effective way to reduce distress resulting from the current global pandemic.

Physical and mental well-being, risk and protective factors among older lesbians /gay women in the United Kingdom during the initial COVID-19 2020 lockdown

“…This study has provided a snapshot of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the lives of older lesbians/gay women living in the UK. This was set in the context of a wider examination of LGBT+ older people's experiences, given that some studies have identified that the pandemic had potential to compound preexisting challenges and health inequalities as well as to capitalize on strategies, strengths, and resilience's of the LGBT+ aging population (Goldbach et al, 2020;Reid & Ritholtz, 2020).…”

“Previous resilience has taught me that I can survive anything:” LGBTQ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…A dearth of empirical research exists about LGBTQ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found one study to date that explored the role of resilience in the relationship between COVID-19 stressors and anxiety (Goldbach et al, 2020). Goldbach and colleagues (Goldbach et al, 2020) found that higher levels of resilience weakened the relationship between COVID-19 concerns and anxiety.…”

Psychosocial Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People Living in Portugal and Brazil—A Qualitative Study

“…68 Coherence with their marginal status helped build a sense of authenticity and well-being, enabling the pandemic crisis to create higher resilience levels. 69 LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) Topics…”