Exploring the Impact of Online Mental Health Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Adults Compared to Heterosexual Adults: Pretest-Posttest Survey Analyses.

Publication date: Jul 11, 2025

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals faced greater mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic than binary-gender heterosexual (non-LGBTQ+) adults. The Together for Wellness/Juntos por Nuestro Bienestar website with free well-being resources, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic with partner input, included LGBTQ+ resources. A pilot evaluation among adults (aged ≥18 years) found engagement with and use of the website 4 to 6 weeks before follow-up was associated with reduced (pretest-posttest) depression. Results for LGBTQ+ participants were not reported. This study describes baseline depression, anxiety, and website engagement for LGBTQ+ compared with non-LGBTQ+ adults and pretest-posttest changes in depression and anxiety (the primary outcome). Community partners invited health and social services providers, clients, and partners to visit the website and complete a survey app (Chorus Innovations) at baseline (September 20, 2021-April 4, 2022) and a 4- to 6-week follow-up (October 22, 2021-May 17, 2022). LGBTQ+ adults were compared to non-LGBTQ+ adults in demographics, website use, depression, and anxiety. Sensitivity analyses were adjusted for nonresponse (inverse probability weighting). Regression analyses identified predictors for reduction (pretest-posttest) in depression (2-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-2]) and anxiety (2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-2]). Of 315 adults who completed the baseline survey and 193 who completed the follow-up survey, 64 (20. 3%) and 37 (19. 2%), respectively, were LGBTQ+. At baseline, LGBTQ+ compared to non-LGBTQ+ adults had higher scores on the PHQ-2 (mean 2. 4, SD 1. 7 vs 1. 3, SD 1. 3; t=5. 31; P

Open Access PDF

Semantics

Original Article