@article{ref1,
title="Comparing the impact of CoViD-19-related social distancing on mood and psychiatric indicators in sexual and gender minority (SGM) and non-SGM individuals",
journal="Frontiers in psychiatry",
year="2020",
author="Goldstein, Michael R. and Kark, Sarah M. and Payne, Jessica D. and Kensinger, Elizabeth A. and Cunningham, Tony J. and Bottary, Ryan and Fields, Eric C. and Rodriguez-Seijas, Craig",
volume="11",
number="",
pages="e590318-e590318",
abstract="Empirical evidence demonstrates mental health disparities between sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) compared with cisgender heterosexual individuals. SGM  individuals report elevated rates of emotional distress, symptoms related to mood  and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Social support  is inversely related to psychiatric symptoms, regardless of SGM status. The COVID-19  pandemic-with its associated limited social interactions-represents an unprecedented  period of acute distress with potential reductions in accessibility of social  support, which might be of particular concern for SGM individuals' mental  well-being. In the present study, we explored the extent to which potential changes  in mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, worry, perceived stress, positive  and negative affect) throughout the duration of the pandemic were related to  differences in perceptions of social support and engagement in virtual social  activity, as a function of SGM status. Utilizing a large sample of US adults (N =  1,014; 18% reported SGM status), we assessed psychiatric symptoms, perceptions of  social isolation, and amount of time spent socializing virtually at 3 time windows  during the pandemic (between March 21 and May 21). Although SGM individuals reported  greater levels of depression compared with non-SGM individuals at all 3 time points,  there was no interaction between time and SGM status. Across all participants,  mental health outcomes improved across time. Perceived social isolation was  associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Further, time spent engaging in  virtual socialization was associated with reduced depression, but only for those in  self-reported quarantine. We discuss these results in terms of the nature of our  sample and its impact on the generalizability of these findings to other SGM samples  as well as directions for future research aimed at understanding potential health  disparities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1664-0640",
doi="10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318"
}