COVID-19, lockdowns, and the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ people in Australia

Abstract

LGBTQ communities around the world entered the COVID-19 pandemic with generally high rates of poor mental health and faced additional challenges including stigma, discrimination, and barriers to care. This study sample was drawn from a survey of 3135 LGBTQ adults residing in Australia during the pandemic. Regression analysis was used to explore individual differences in psychological distress and perceived change in mental wellbeing since the onset of the pandemic as well as the impact of lockdowns, by taking advantage of a natural experiment comparing the states that experienced more extensive lockdowns (Victoria and New South Wales) to the rest of Australia. The burden of mental health was found to vary across gender, sexual orientation, age, and area of residence. While no impact of lockdowns on psychological distress was observed, participants living in the states of Victoria (β = −0.15; 95% CI = −0.23, −0.07) and New South Wales (β = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.21, −0.05) self-reported a more negative impact of the pandemic on their mental wellbeing compared to the rest of the country. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ populations, particularly among those who experienced extensive lockdowns and highlight the need for increased efforts to enable access to mental health supports during times of crisis.

Keywords:

• LGBTQ
• mental health
• pandemic
• lockdowns
• Australia

Acknowledgements

The Pride and Pandemic study was guided by the expert advice of an Expert Advisory Group whose members included. We are grateful for their help and advice throughout this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The Pride and Pandemic study was supported by the Australian National Mental Health Commission. The secondary analyses presented in this paper were made possible by funding from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.