Psychological intervention

Gerontology

Macroeconomics

Minority stress

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Demography

Social psychology

Rumination

Depression (economics)

Cognition

Virology

Social support

Psychiatry

Economics

Anxiety

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Outbreak

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Sexual orientation

Sexual minority

Psychology

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Sociology

Mental health

Medicine

Clinical psychology

Pandemic

Disease

Pathology

Journal of Homosexuality

Deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise, and this virus has asymmetric impacts on marginalized communities though specific impacts on sexual and gender minority communities are not well understood. From March 23 to June 20, 2020, in an online cross-sectional survey among 1380 US adults, we assessed physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, rumination, and perceived social support in order to describe differences between sexual and gender minority (n = 290) and cisgender heterosexual (n = 1090) respondents. Sexual and gender minority respondents had more frequent COVID-19-associated physical symptoms and depression and anxiety symptoms. Sexual and gender minorities had a significantly higher proportion of depression and anxiety scores exceeding the clinical concern threshold. Longitudinal studies on the physical and psychological impacts of COVID-19 among sexual and gender minority communities are needed to inform interventions to eliminate these disparities.

Disproportionate Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Perceived Social Support, Mental Health and Somatic Symptoms in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations