Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19

Dimitra Eleftheria Strongylou; Paul Flowers; Ruth McKenna; Ross Andrew Kincaid; Dan Clutterbuck; Mohamed Ahmed Hammoud; Julian Heng; Yvonne Kerr; Lisa McDaid; Jamie Scott Frankis

doi:10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687

Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19

Dimitra Eleftheria Strongylou, Paul Flowers, Ruth McKenna, Ross Andrew Kincaid, Dan Clutterbuck, Mohamed Ahmed Hammoud, Julian Heng, Yvonne Kerr, Lisa McDaid, Jamie Scott Frankis

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

19 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at far greater risk of experiencing poor mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional unique to sexual minority status' COVID-19 stressors.

Objective: This sequential, mixed-methods study examined remote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the U.K. and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Methods and Results: Quantitative survey data (n = 1368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n = 18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking remote MH help, with the help primarily sought from GBMSM-facing organisations and generic online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland.

Implications: We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM's MH needs, post COVID-19.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	357-378
Number of pages	22
Journal	Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
Volume	10
Issue number	1
Early online date	5 Apr 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687
Publication status	Published - 2022

Keywords

mental health
Covid-19 recovery
GBMSM
behaviour change wheel
gay and bisexual men

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Strongylou, D. E., Flowers, P., McKenna, R., Kincaid, R. A., Clutterbuck, D., Hammoud, M. A., Heng, J., Kerr, Y., McDaid, L., & Frankis, J. S. (2022). Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 10(1), 357-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687

Strongylou, Dimitra Eleftheria ; Flowers, Paul ; McKenna, Ruth et al. / Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland : a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19. In: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. 2022 ; Vol. 10, No. 1. pp. 357-378.

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abstract = "Background: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at far greater risk of experiencing poor mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional unique to sexual minority status' COVID-19 stressors.Objective: This sequential, mixed-methods study examined remote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the U.K. and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown.Methods and Results: Quantitative survey data (n = 1368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n = 18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking remote MH help, with the help primarily sought from GBMSM-facing organisations and generic online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland.Implications: We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM's MH needs, post COVID-19.",

keywords = "mental health, Covid-19 recovery, GBMSM, behaviour change wheel, gay and bisexual men",

author = "Strongylou, {Dimitra Eleftheria} and Paul Flowers and Ruth McKenna and Kincaid, {Ross Andrew} and Dan Clutterbuck and Hammoud, {Mohamed Ahmed} and Julian Heng and Yvonne Kerr and Lisa McDaid and Frankis, {Jamie Scott}",

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Strongylou, DE, Flowers, P, McKenna, R, Kincaid, RA, Clutterbuck, D, Hammoud, MA, Heng, J, Kerr, Y, McDaid, L & Frankis, JS 2022, 'Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19', Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 357-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687

Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19. / Strongylou, Dimitra Eleftheria; Flowers, Paul; McKenna, Ruth et al.
In: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2022, p. 357-378.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T1 - Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland

T2 - a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19

AU - Strongylou, Dimitra Eleftheria

AU - Flowers, Paul

AU - McKenna, Ruth

AU - Kincaid, Ross Andrew

AU - Clutterbuck, Dan

AU - Hammoud, Mohamed Ahmed

AU - Heng, Julian

AU - Kerr, Yvonne

AU - McDaid, Lisa

AU - Frankis, Jamie Scott

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at far greater risk of experiencing poor mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional unique to sexual minority status' COVID-19 stressors.Objective: This sequential, mixed-methods study examined remote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the U.K. and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown.Methods and Results: Quantitative survey data (n = 1368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n = 18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking remote MH help, with the help primarily sought from GBMSM-facing organisations and generic online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland.Implications: We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM's MH needs, post COVID-19.

AB - Background: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at far greater risk of experiencing poor mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional unique to sexual minority status' COVID-19 stressors.Objective: This sequential, mixed-methods study examined remote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the U.K. and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown.Methods and Results: Quantitative survey data (n = 1368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n = 18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking remote MH help, with the help primarily sought from GBMSM-facing organisations and generic online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland.Implications: We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM's MH needs, post COVID-19.

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KW - Covid-19 recovery

KW - GBMSM

KW - behaviour change wheel

KW - gay and bisexual men

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DO - 10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687

M3 - Article

SN - 2164-2850

VL - 10

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EP - 378

JO - Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine

JF - Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine

IS - 1

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Strongylou DE, Flowers P, McKenna R, Kincaid RA, Clutterbuck D, Hammoud MA et al. Understanding and responding to remote mental health help-seeking by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland: a mixed-method study conducted in the context of COVID-19. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. 2022;10(1):357-378. Epub 2022 Apr 5. doi: 10.1080/21642850.2022.2053687