Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
Social Support during the COVID-19 Pandemic by Sexual Orientation
Authors: Julia Wolf Lynne Cossman
Presenting Author: Julia Wolf*
Social connections are imperative for good health and well-being; however, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, stay-at-home and social distancing orders were enacted for months. These mandates could have been particularly perilous for sexual orientation minorities who often rely on social support outside of their family. Using data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (CHAPS) sampled from the National Opinion Research Center’s (NORC) AmeriSpeak© panel, we explore various measures of social support and connectedness by sexual orientation. Survey responses were collected between May and June 2021—providing insight into a unique time of the pandemic when everyone over 16 years old in the US was eligible for the vaccine and many states had recently dropped capacity restrictions. Respondents also specifically considered how lonely they felt during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. This study adds to the sparse literature on sexual minority risks and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.