Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
Mobility and social support matter: Predictors of loneliness during the Covid-19 pandemic among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in low versus high-stigmatizing countries
Authors: Raiza Beltran Dongwook Kim
Presenting Author: Dongwook Kim*
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on varying movement restriction policies, such as stay-at-home orders, that were found to negatively impact the wellbeing of gay and bisexual men who have sex with men’s (GBMSM). Those living in countries known to have lower acceptance of GBMSM may exacerbate this population’s health risk. This study employs the Minority Stress Theory (MST) to examine the impact of mobility restrictions and country-level acceptance of GBMSM on loneliness, an emerging public health issue linked to adverse health outcomes. Methods: GBMSM users of Hornet, a dating app, across 14 countries were surveyed (N=10,905) during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-July 2020). MST stressors such as the proximal stressor of fearing discrimination due to one’s sexual orientation and the distal stressor of structural stigma, operationalized by the global LGBTQI-acceptance Index (GAI), were used. Pandemic related factors, such COVID-19 related anxiety, and protective factors, such as being in a relationship, were also part of the hierarchical regression analysis conducted to fit a health predictive model. Results: Participants were approximately 34 years old, primarily lived in urban settings, and were well educated. 68% lived in countries with high structural stigma (low GAI score). Moderate to extreme loneliness was highest among participants with complete mobility restrictions and living in high stigmatizing countries. Mobility restriction was found to be highly associated with loneliness, surpassing the impact of living in countries with high structural stigma. GBMSM with higher COVID-19-related anxiety, increased mobility restrictions and lower protective factors reported greater levels of loneliness.Conclusion: Study results demonstrate the significance of providing targeted support to address mental health crises during public health emergencies. This can include securing mobility freedom and promoting social connectedness in safe and inclusive ways.