Mental Health Among Black and Latinx Sexual Minority Adults Leading Up to and Following the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: Results from a Natural Experiment

Abstract

Purpose: Multi-level hostility toward sexual minority (SM; includes, but is not limited to those identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or same-gender loving) and other minority populations (e.g., racial/ethnic) increased after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This may generate stress and mental health problems among those groups, and particularly among SM people of color. This study assessed whether the mental health of Black and Latinx SM adults declined after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Methods: Data were from a daily national probability survey (thus, mean changes in mental health outcomes over time may reflect population shifts in mental health) of Black and Latinx SM adults (N = 537), recruited 7 months before and 17 months after the November 8, 2016 election. Using a between-subjects design, splinebased regressions (spline set at election date), adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, estimated four mental health outcomes (past-month number of ''poor mental health'' days and psychological distress, pastyear suicidal ideation, and social wellbeing) as a function of survey completion date. Results: There was marked worsening in each of the mental health outcomes over the postelection period (pastmonth poor mental health days, B = 0.05, standard error [SE] = 0.02, p < 0.05; psychological distress, B = 0.28, SE = 0.14, p < 0.05; suicidal ideation, odds ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval >1.00-1.26, p < 0.05; and social wellbeing, B = À0.05, SE = 0.02, p < 0.05). None of the outcomes varied over the pre-election period. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of worsening mental health among Black and Latinx SM adults in the United States during the 1.5 years after the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Anti‐immigration policies of the trump administration: A review of Latinx mental health and resilience in the face of structural violence

“…Quantitatively, increased odds or frequency of depression or depressive symptoms were reported in six included articles. Populations who reported these internalizing symptoms included Latinx adults awaiting deportation proceedings (Bailey et al., 2021), Latinx children with higher levels of mistrust of others in their community (Cross et al., 2020), male Latinx day laborers with higher levels of legal vulnerability (Haro‐Ramos & Rodriguez, 2021), Latinx adolescents and adults with a close social tie who had been deported (Pinedo & Valdez., 2020; Roche et al., 2020), and sexual minorities who are also ethnic minorities (Krueger et al., 2021). Depressive outcomes were thus pervasive across age groups within the Latinx community during the Trump administration.…”

“…Among DACA students, 90% reported chronic fear in one study related to their uncertain status and future (Moreno et al., 2021). Between pre and post election of President Trump, a majority Hispanic sample who also identified as a sexual minority reported significant increases in non‐specific psychological distress (Krueger et al., 2021). For Latinx parents who experienced harassment or questioning during the administration or felt the wellbeing of their family had been negatively affected as a result of immigration and policy changes, these individuals also had significantly higher odds of experiencing psychological distress (Roche et al., 2018).…”

Social change and relationship quality among sexual minority individuals: Does minority stress still matter?

“…As a result, this current analysis is limited by its cross‐sectional nature and lack of dyadic data from participants' partners (Meyer et al, 2020). Furthermore, we cannot disentangle the effects of immediate social change related to sexual and gender minority relationships from other forms of social change of relevance to these cohorts that occurred at the time of data collection (e.g., the 2016 US Presidential Election, Krueger et al, 2021). The cohort comparisons attempt to capture differences across cohorts in how they were socialized from a young age and internalized social norms about same‐sex relationships.…”

The paradox of progress for sexual and gender diverse youth

“…Regarding the impact of anti-LGBTQ discourse, studies show that leading up to the passage of the California ballot Proposition 8 intended to ban same-sex marriage in 2008, students in that state reported a statistical increase in homophobic bullying that dissipated in the years following [36]. Other studies show anxiety among families with transgender children following the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign [37], and that U.S. Black and Latinx sexual minority adults reported compromised mental health during the 1.5 years after the 2016 U.S. presidential election [38]. Most recently, an examination of LGBTQ-related litigation demonstrates an increase in homophobic bullying in school districts directly following court rulings that struck down student plaintiff seeking monetary or injunctive relief; conversely, reductions in bullying were observed in instances where the plaintiff's case was substantiated [39].…”