Psychological Adjustment Profiles of LGBTQ+ Young Adults Residing with Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Study

Inês Vázquez; Jorge Gato; Susana Coimbra; Fiona Tasker; Jaime Barrientos; Marina Miscioscia; Elder Cerqueira-Santos; Anna Malmquist; Daniel Seabra; Daniela Leal; Marie Houghton; Mikael Poli; Alessio Gubello; Mozer de Miranda Ramos; Mónica Guzmán-González; Alfonzo Urzúa; Francisco Ulloa; Matilda Wurm

doi:10.3390/ijerph20043188

Psychological Adjustment Profiles of LGBTQ+ Young Adults Residing with Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 11;20(4):3188. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043188.

Authors

Inês Vázquez¹, Jorge Gato^{1

2}, Susana Coimbra^{1

2}, Fiona Tasker³, Jaime Barrientos⁴, Marina Miscioscia^{5

6}, Elder Cerqueira-Santos⁷, Anna Malmquist⁸, Daniel Seabra⁹, Daniela Leal¹, Marie Houghton³, Mikael Poli⁶, Alessio Gubello^{5

10}, Mozer de Miranda Ramos⁷, Mónica Guzmán-González¹¹, Alfonzo Urzúa¹¹, Francisco Ulloa¹², Matilda Wurm¹³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
² Centre for Psychology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
³ Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
⁴ Faculty of Psychology, University Alberto Hurtado, Santiago 6500620, Chile.
⁵ Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy.
⁶ Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy.
⁷ Department of Psychology, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju 49100-000, Brazil.
⁸ Division of Psychology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
⁹ Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioural Intervention (CINEICC), University of Coimbra, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal.
¹⁰ Department of Developmental and Family Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
¹¹ School of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 0610, Chile.
¹² MUMS-Movimiento por la Diversidad Sexual, Santiago 578, Chile.
¹³ School of Behavioral, Social and Legal Sciences, Örebro University, 702 81 Örebro, Sweden.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health symptoms, particularly among vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ individuals. In the present study, we aimed to (i) identify different psychological adjustment profiles among LGBTQ+ young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare LGBTQ+ young adults in relation to (ii) sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19-related experiences and (iii) the internal and external protective resources associated with each adjustment profile. An online questionnaire was administered to 1699 LGBTQ+ young adults from six countries (Brazil, Chile, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK). A cluster analysis was conducted, and four profiles of psychological adjustment were identified: unchallenged, resilient, distressed, and at-risk. The at-risk cluster scored lowest in social support (particularly from family). The profiles of participants who experienced the highest levels of pandemic adversity (at-risk and resilient) comprised mostly South American participants, those under lockdown at the time of survey completion, those who self-identified as transgender and non-binary, and those with a plurisexual sexual orientation. Interventions should consider strategies to help young adults maintain support systems and reinforce the value of positive family relationships. Specific groups within the LGBTQ+ community that seem to be in a particularly vulnerable situation may need additional tailored support.

Keywords: COVID-19; LGBTQ+; adjustment profiles; person-centered approach; resilience; social support; well-being.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Communicable Disease Control
Emotional Adjustment
Female
Humans
Male
Pandemics
Sexual and Gender Minorities*
Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Centre for Psychology at the University of Porto, Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT UIDB/00050/2020) (Portugal), the Torsten Amundson’s fund, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Sweden), and the British Academy (BA COV19_201169) (UK). The authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.