COVID-19, violence, and mental health among Indigenous gay and bisexual men in Guatemala: An urgent call from key stakeholders

ABSTRACT

We explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health and wellbeing of Indigenous gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Guatemala, a group that experiences intersectional stigma and structural barriers to health. Between February and May 2021, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews via Zoom with key stakeholders (n = 11) working with Indigenous GBM throughout Guatemala. We coded thematically and conducted narrative analysis to identify the most salient themes. Participants described that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Indigenous GBM migrated to urban centres to avoid stigma and violence from families and rural communities. After the onset of COVID-19, many Indigenous GBM lost their jobs and were forced to move back in with families. For Indigenous GBM who returned, participants described a perceived increase in the severity of physical and psychological violence. Participants attributed this increase in severity to retribution from families and communities for having left. Most Indigenous GBM-serving organisations reported a drastic increase in demand for mental health services. Organisations serving Indigenous GBM have an urgent need to scale up their mental health services and find innovative ways to provide these services remotely during the pandemic and beyond. Technology-based mental health interventions that require little ‘live’ interaction may be appropriate.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19
• indigenous
• gay and bisexual men
• mental health
• violence

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for taking the time to share their insights and our community partners for assistance with recruitment.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number D43TW009343 and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or UCGHI.