Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among Sexual and Gender Minority People by Disability Status: Findings From The PRIDE Study, 2019–2020

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people have increased anxiety and depressive disorders due, in part, to minority stress compared with cisgender and heterosexual people. Disability is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. With limited existing mental health data from SGM people with disabilities, we compared anxiety and depression symptoms between SGM people with and without disabilities. Participants from The PRIDE (Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality) Study were classified into four disability categories based on self-reported disability from 2019 to 2020. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire (anxiety) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; depression). Means were calculated for GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores by disability type. Logistic regression models examined the associations between scores ≥10 (accepted cutoffs for clinical symptoms) and disability type. For GAD-7, SGM people across all disability types (physical, mental, intellectual, and other) had reported significantly higher scores compared with those without disabilities. SGM people with any disability had increased odds of having GAD-7 scores that were ≥10 compared with those without disabilities. Similar to anxiety scores, SGM people with any disability reported significantly higher PHQ-9 mean scores compared with those without disabilities. Additionally, SGM people with any disability had higher odds of having PHQ-9 scores that were ≥10. Both anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher among SGM people with disabilities, signaling higher levels of anxiety and depression for this specific minority population. Further examinations should explore upstream factors affecting anxiety and depression in the SGM disability community.