Stigma and suicide risk among the LGBTQ population: Are anxiety and depression to blame and can connectedness to the LGBTQ community help?

Sex differences in mental health among older adults: investigating time trends and possible risk groups with regard to age, educational level and ethnicity

“…Furthermore, the influence of ethnicity could only be studied in a cross-sectional design and the mental health questionnaires were not validated for this subpopulation of Turkish and Moroccan older adults. Finally, LGBTQ people are a known risk group for lower mental health compared to cisgender heterosexual people across age (Kaniuka et al, 2019). Unfortunately, data on sexual orientation was not available in the current study to investigate whether this this association with mental health differs between men and women.…”

Sexual and Gender Minority Stress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for LGBTQ Young Persons’ Mental Health and Well-Being

“…31,32 K-12 school contexts can similarly be a primary source of affirming social and community support outside the home for LGBTQ young persons. 17,33,34 K-12 school and university resources (eg, gender and sexuality alliances, affirming teachers, student organizations, LGBTQ student community centers) are related to the development of internal and external sources of resiliency (eg, identity pride, outness, self-esteem, community connectedness, social support) among LGBTQ young persons, 17,[33][34][35][36][37] which can reduce their risks for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and suicidality related to minority stress. 17,[37][38][39] LGBTQ young persons further rely on K-12 schools and universities for substantial professional mental health services and support.…”

Preparing for the Behavioral Health Impact of COVID-19 in Michigan

“…• Age group that is most vulnerable to serious complications from COVID-19 and has highest COVID-19 case fatality rate [10] • Age group with the highest rate of suicide in the USA, especially particularly for men [41] LGBTQ individuals • Decreased connection to LGBTQ community due to social distancing [1] • Many LGBTQ youth are quarantined/homebound with their parents, who vary in supportiveness [42]°1 /3 of LGBTQ youth report parental acceptance; 1/3 report parental rejection [42] • The LGBTQ suicide rate is 5-6 times that of the general USA population [43,44] • Felt connection to the LGBTQ community and peer support decreases depression, anxiety, and suicide risk [45,46] • LGBTQ youth who report experiencing high parental rejection are 6 times more likely to report severe depression and 8 times more likely to attempt suicide [47] Mental healthcare workers • Increased risk of stress/burnout and vicarious trauma during the pandemic [1] • May need increased support and assistance with caring for family members [15] • Ambulatory healthcare visits decreased by more than 50% in mid-March 2020 [32] • More than 1 in 5 physicians have been furloughed or experienced a pay cut since the start of the pandemic, including 18% of those treating COVID-19 patients [49] • Physicians already had elevated rates of suicide prior to the pandemic [ • Studies of the SARS epidemic found similar mental health impacts, with worse symptoms for those who worked on SARS units, were quarantined, or had friends/family who were infected [13] Those with current or prior mental health conditions • May be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, based on data from the COVID-19 epidemic in China [52] • COVID-19-related worry/anxiety may worsen pre-existing mental health conditions [32] • Nationwide quarantines pose barriers to ongoing mental health treatment [52] • Mental health interventions, such as support groups, cognitive-behavioral stress management, and narrative interventions for trauma, can improve immune system functioning [53] Substance use disorders (SUDs)…”