Qualitative Findings on the Impact of Covid-19 Restrictions on Australian Gay and Bisexual Men

Community Belonging and Mental Well-being

Bibliographic Data

ID4638387
AuthorsSteven P Philpot (0000-0002-5398-5793, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia, corresponding author), Martin Holt (0000-0002-2586-8274, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Dean Murphy (0000-0003-2752-7091, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Bridget Haire (0000-0002-0657-9610, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Garrett Prestage (0000-0003-3917-8992, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Lisa Maher (0000-0001-6020-6519, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Benjamin R Bavinton (0000-0001-5834-8278, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Mohamed A Hammoud (0000-0002-7952-7969, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Fengyi Jin (0000-0002-8573-637X, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia), Adam Bourne (0000-0001-7786-8981, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia)
Year2021
Volume31
Issue13
Pages2414-2425
Publication date2021-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10497323211039204
PMID34433350
OpenAlexW3195100988
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited39

COVID-19 may threaten the already poor mental health outcomes of Australian gay and bisexual men and cut ties to important social/sexual networks and community. Qualitative research into the experiences of gay and bisexual men during COVID-19 regulations is currently sparse. We report on 489 responses to a qualitative free-text question asking Australian gay and bisexual men about the impacts of COVID-19 during April 2020. Issues pertinent to gay and bisexual men include lost ties to gay and bisexual social/sexual communities, spaces, and activities, which can reduce a sense of belonging to important sexual identity spaces, as well as significant mental well-being vulnerabilities. Reminiscing the collective response to HIV/AIDS, findings reinforce the value of gay and bisexual community organizations, spaces, and networks as supports for gay and bisexual men and emphasize the need for delivering mental health services

Homosexuality · Human sexuality · Mental health · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Sexual identity · Sociology · Gender Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Homelessness and Social Issues · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology