Latino sexual minority men’s intersectional minority stress, general stress, and coping during COVID-19: A rapid qualitative study

Abstract

Introduction

Sexual minority men face mental health, substance use, and HIV disparities, all of which can be understood by minority stress and intersectionality theories. With the emergence of COVID-19 and considering its disproportionate impact on Latinx and sexual minority communities, Latino sexual minority men (LSMM) may be facing unique consequences of this new pandemic that intersect with pre-COVID disparities. The purpose of the current study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LSMM’s intersectional minority stress, general stress, and coping, filling a gap in the current literature.

Methods

The current rapid qualitative study explores the impact of COVID-19 on LSMM in South Florida who reported being HIV-negative (N = 10) or living with HIV (N = 10).

Results

The rapid analysis revealed themes of exacerbated intersectional minority stress and general stress in the context of COVID-19, some of which was related to the impact of pre-COVID-19 disparities in the LSMM community. Participants reported a variety of coping responses, some of which participants found helpful and others (e.g., substance use) which further exacerbated disparities.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the need to scale up and disseminate behavioral health resources to LSMM to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this community’s health and well-being.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• minority stress
• coping
• rapid qualitative analysis
• Latino sexual minority men

Notes

1 Note that we use the term “Latino” when specifically referring to men, including the participants in the current study. We used the term “Latinx” to refer to the broader Latinx community. For example, when describing prior findings that are not specific to men, we use the term “Latinx.”

2 Note that we identify participants as US born (continental US), Caribbean born, or South/Central American born to balance providing demographic information with protecting participants’ anonymity.

Additional information

Funding

This work was completed with support from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities under Grant U54MD002266 (Behar-Zusman), the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant P30MH116867 (Safren), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Grant P30AI073961 (Pahwa). Additionally, author time was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Grant K24DA040489 (Safren) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities under grant K23MD015690 (Harkness). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.