Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the LGBTQIA+ community has been experiencing unique struggles when it comes to healthcare and mental well-being. They're more likely to suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse issues. They also experience other physical health conditions.
They are also less likely to have housing and financial security (including health insurance). This kind of instability can add to mental health problems and make anxiety and depression worse in “normal” circumstances.
As the pandemic forced parts of society to shut down, the loss of face-to-face contact put a strain on mental health. Worldwide, people are experiencing stress, grief, and more difficult access to healthcare. But LGBTQIA+ were already at more risk for each of these problems.
Impact on jobs and housing situations
LGBTQIA+ people are disproportionately represented in jobs that are/were considered “essential” during the strictest parts of lockdown. These include hospitality, the service industry, retail, and healthcare. These kinds of jobs often could not be shifted to remote work the way other careers were able to.
This put employees in almost constant contact with other people under normal circumstances. As employers experienced tightening budgets and furloughed staff, LGBTQIA+ people were more likely to be laid off or lose work opportunities.
LGBTQIA+ folks also tend to live in cities. More densely populated urban areas compared to where cis-gendered straight people live make social distancing more of a challenge. As a result, a large percentage of the queer community was (and still is) at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. They are also more likely to struggle to pay rent and live in unstable housing situations, made worse by financial uncertainty because of the pandemic.
Impact on availability of mental health services and supportive community access
Access to therapy, medication, and other treatments for mental health can be expensive for the average person in the best of times. The pandemic worsened this for a variety of reasons. Due to shutdowns, less availability and access to psychiatric therapy and gender-affirming medical procedures. For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, this is life-saving healthcare.
Nonprofits and community outreach centers also had more limited capabilities. A huge part of LGBTQIA+ identity centers around creating community. When in-person meetups become limited or impossible, mental health suffers.
Impact on queer youth and college students
When it comes to LGBTQIA+ youth, these issues compound. Many queer teens and young adults live in homes that do not support their gender and/or sexual expression. Some are not yet out to their families.
Therefore, access to telemedicine and virtual therapy can be incredibly difficult. In the interest of keeping their bodily wellbeing and housing situations stable, queer youth often had to sacrifice their own mental health. They may experience a loss of freedom to express themselves outside the home. They may also feel the exhaustion of code-switching around unsupportive family members.
For some, schools and universities offered their main support system. LGBTQIA+ youth were left without access to the mental healthcare they needed when those closed down or limited their in-person resources.
The importance of acknowledging the pandemic’s impact on the LGBTQIA+ population
The pandemic has worsened mental health issues across nearly every observable metric. But the queer community, which has already been historically disenfranchised, is at a greater risk for increases in generalized anxiety, depression, and distress. Healthcare providers and mental health professionals should be educated on the unique effect the pandemic has had on LGBTQIA+ people.
It’s crucial to both validate their experiences and celebrate their strengths while addressing medical disparity. If you are a member yourself, try to advocate for yourself and your community.
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