TY - JOUR
T1 - Living Through COVID-19
T2 - Social Distancing, Computer-Mediated Communication, and Well-Being in Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adults
AU - Baumel, Katie
AU - Hamlett, Mara
AU - Wheeler, Brittany
AU - Hall, Deborah
AU - Randall, Ashley K.
AU - Mickelson, Kristin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - COVID-19 has had far-reaching effects on people’s lives, with evidence of a disproportionate impact on marginalized groups. Given existing health disparities and research on minority stress, COVID-19 may have uniquely impacted psychological well-being among sexual minorities. In an online survey of adults in the U.S. (N = 1,007) conducted in April 2020, we examined differences between sexual minority and heterosexual participants in psychological well-being, social distancing, computer-mediated communication, and COVID-19-related worry and experiences. Sexual minorities reported lower thriving and greater psychological distress, social distancing, computer-mediated communication, and COVID-19 worry and experiences than heterosexual participants. Social distancing and distress were positively correlated among sexual minorities and more frequent computer-mediated communication predicted greater thriving across groups. Path analyses showed sexual minorities’ poorer psychological well-being was mediated by their greater COVID-19 worry and social distancing, in particular. These findings shed light on the distinct impact of COVID-19 on sexual minorities.
AB - COVID-19 has had far-reaching effects on people’s lives, with evidence of a disproportionate impact on marginalized groups. Given existing health disparities and research on minority stress, COVID-19 may have uniquely impacted psychological well-being among sexual minorities. In an online survey of adults in the U.S. (N = 1,007) conducted in April 2020, we examined differences between sexual minority and heterosexual participants in psychological well-being, social distancing, computer-mediated communication, and COVID-19-related worry and experiences. Sexual minorities reported lower thriving and greater psychological distress, social distancing, computer-mediated communication, and COVID-19 worry and experiences than heterosexual participants. Social distancing and distress were positively correlated among sexual minorities and more frequent computer-mediated communication predicted greater thriving across groups. Path analyses showed sexual minorities’ poorer psychological well-being was mediated by their greater COVID-19 worry and social distancing, in particular. These findings shed light on the distinct impact of COVID-19 on sexual minorities.
KW - COVID-19
KW - LGBQ
KW - computer-mediated communication
KW - psychological well-being
KW - sexual minorities
KW - social distancing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099468451&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85099468451&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00918369.2020.1868190
DO - 10.1080/00918369.2020.1868190
M3 - Article
C2 - 33523776
AN - SCOPUS:85099468451
SN - 0091-8369
VL - 68
SP - 673
EP - 691
JO - Journal of Homosexuality
JF - Journal of Homosexuality
IS - 4
ER -