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Qualitative Findings on the Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Australian Gay and Bisexual Men: Community Belonging and Mental Well-being.

Steven P PhilpotMartin HoltDean MurphyBridget Gabrielle HaireGarrett PrestageLisa MaherBenjamin R BavintonMohamed A HammoudFengyi JinAdam Bourne
Published in: Qualitative health research (2021)
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.
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