Psychological Distress and Happiness of Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender People During the Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic: Is There a Need for Public Health Policy Intervention?

Abstract

Since the global onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, the disease has significantly impacted mental health. This impact is likely to be further exacerbated for groups who were already marginalized. This paper shares results from a broader study of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Bali, Indonesia and includes a focus on psychological distress and happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic; applying sociodemographic and epidemiological characteristics as potential mediators. Psychological distress and the level of happiness were measured by The Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to September 2020. Of the 416 participants, complete data were available for 363 participants. The majority of participants were aged 26–40 years, currently single, were born outside Bali, were currently living in an urban area, and over one-third were living with HIV. While all were MSM, the majority identified as homosexual/tend to be homosexual (71.3%), however 54 (14.9%) identified themselves as heterosexual. The majority (251, 69.1%) reported moderate to very high psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The binary logistic regression analysis identified five factors to be significantly associated with higher psychological distress: being a student, reporting higher levels of stigma, had ever experienced discrimination, felt better prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and less happy than the average person. When homosexual were compared with heterosexual participants, those who identified themselves as being homosexual reported significantly lower psychological distress compared to those identified themselves as heterosexual, which may be associated with these participants not disclosing their status as MSM and the stigma around MSM. Those who considered themselves to be less happy than the average person (316, 87.1%) were more likely to live with a partner and to report moderate to very high psychological distress. Based on the findings, interventions should focus on strategies to reduce stigma, provide non-discriminatory services, and improve access to essential health services.

Análise da saúde mental da população LGBTQIA+ frente à pandemia da COVID-19

“…Verificou-se um aumento no índice de transtornos mentais em pessoas LGBTQIA+ como consequência da pandemia da COVID-19 (Kneale & Bécares, 2021;Bordiano, et al,2021;Suen et al, 2020;Ruprecht et al, 2021;Linnemayr et al, 2020;Jacmin-Park et al, 2022;Septarini et al, 2021;Kamal et al, 2021.;Fish et al, 2021;Buspavanich et al, 2021).…”

“…Os resultados obtidos do mesmo estudo em questão também sugerem que indivíduos assexuais e bissexuais possuem risco particular de adoecimento mental, principalmente em relação a indivíduos heterossexuais, ao apresentarem maior taxa significativa de depressão. Além disso, indivíduos transgêneros estudantes apresentaram maior chance de reportar estresse psicológico, em comparação aos que trabalhavam em período integral (Septarini et al, 2021).…”

“…Analisando o grupo LGBTQIA+ de forma geral, percebeu-se, com o isolamento social imposto pela pandemia, um aumento do preconceito vivenciado pela comunidade, especificamente a propensão a conflitos familiares que podem levar a diversos tipos de violência, além do abuso de drogas. Nesse contexto, o aumento do estresse devido ao isolamento social com a família foi apontado por diversos estudos, principalmente os que analisaram jovens gays e transexuais (Cerqueira-Santos, et al, 2021;Bordiano, et al, 2021;Suen, et al, 2020;Ferraz, et al, 2021;Kauss, et al, 2021;Septarini, et al, 2021). A vulnerabilidade das pessoas LGBTQIA+ frente à pandemia foi percebida em estudos nos quais os resultados apontaram para uma diminuição da conexão com a comunidade (Suen, et al, 2020;Ruprecht, et al, 2021;Kamal, et al, 2021;.…”

Men’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

“…Of the 27 selected studies, six were published [24-28] in 2020, when the pandemic was first declared. However, in 2021, 21 studies [8][9][10][11]16,23,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43], 3.5 times as many, were published-and publication is still ongoing. There is still insufficient research on men's mental health in the COVID-19 era.…”

Identity development, attraction, and behaviour of heterosexually identified men who have sex with men: Scoping review protocol

“…H-MSM may also be more likely than those with concordant sexual orientations and behaviors to use alcohol and inhalants 21 . Moreover, H-MSM tend to perceive themselves as less happy than the average person 22 and report lower levels of social support than heterosexual men 23 . Additionally, men who have sex with both women and men have elevated levels of diastolic blood pressure, which is connected to increased risks of hypertension, compared to men who only have sex with women 24 .…”