Mobilising the Voluntary and Community Sector to Address the Unmet Needs of the UK LGBT+ Population during Covid-19.

Lead Research Organisation: NatCen Social Research
Department Name: Research Department

Abstract

It has been long-established that the UK's LGBT+ population faces significant disadvantage and inequality. Research suggests that UK LGBT+ people are not only more likely to experience threats to safety and harassment, but are also more likely to have poorer mental health outcomes, to more regularly engage in substance abuse, and are disproportionately affected by homelessness and familial rejection (Hudson and Metcalf, 2016; Government Equalities Office, 2018). Evidence also suggests that specialist VC sector organisations are a crucial source of support for the UK LGBT+ population, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary people are discouraged and prevented from accessing mainstream support services through fears of inappropriate treatment and discrimination (Hudson and Metcalf, 2016).

Preliminary international and small-scale regional UK research indicates Covid-19 is having a significant detrimental impact on the already disadvantaged UK LGBT+ population, resulting in decreased mental wellbeing during lockdown, threats to personal safety as a result of unsupportive home environments, and problems accessing health care and medication (Commonwealth Equality Network, 2020; LGBT Foundation, 2020). Correspondingly, LGBT+ VC sector organisations report unprecedented demand for services, alongside a loss and/or reduction in staff and funding as Covid-19 negatively affects crucial and already scarce statutory and grant funding (TUC, 2014).

Within this context, this project, undertaken by NatCen Social Research and Consortium, in partnership with Stonewall, LGBT Foundation and Intercom Trust, will undertake mixed-methods research to identify and explore the impact Covid-19 has, and will continue to have, on the UK LGBT+ population, and how the LGBT+ voluntary and community (VC) sector can be mobilised to address community need.

This project will undertake three key strands of research. First, it would collate and analyse raw online survey data on the self-reported impacts of Covid-19 on the UK LGBT+ population. This data has been collected throughout April-June 2020 by our partner organisations and provides the largest UK data resource on the impacts of Covid-19 in areas such as mental health, social connectedness, safety and service engagement. Second, this project would undertake focus groups to elucidate survey findings, providing disaggregation on the impacts of Covid-19 on vulnerable sub-populations, including BAME, older and disabled LGBT+ people, amongst many others. Third, it will work directly with the UK LGBT+ VC sector; hosting workshops to explore research findings and developing a national strategic framework that will map community need and service delivery, to identify how the sector can be mobilised to address unmet need.
 
Description The evidence identified by this review suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of LGBT+ people living in the UK. This includes evidence of increased anxiety and depression, attributed to feelings of isolation and loneliness through the loss of safe, supportive, and identity-affirming peer-groups, communities and spaces.

Evidence suggests the mental health of younger LGBT+ people has been particularly negatively affected. This is in part attributed to younger LGBT+ people feeling the most unable to connect with those outside of their household during the pandemic. Some evidence identified by this review also suggests that the mental health of LGBT+ people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups has been disproportionately negatively affected. Some evidence also suggests this to the case for disabled LGBT+ people. Confidence in the validity of these findings is, however, hampered by small or unclear sub-sample sizes.

The findings of this review also consistently suggest that the mental health of trans people has been disproportionately negatively affected by the pandemic. This is attributed to the disruption of gender-affirming care and exacerbated experiences of gender dysphoria, in addition to heightened experiences of depression, anxiety and loneliness during lockdown(s).

The findings of this review suggest that incidences of self-harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts increased during the pandemic. This is particularly the case amongst younger LGBT+ and trans people of all ages. This is attributed to increased feelings of loneliness and isolation, compounded by difficulties accessing mental health support during lockdown(s).

The findings of this review suggest that LGBT+ communities increased their consumption of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products during the pandemic. This is attributed to increased stress, inactivity and boredom. The evidence also identifies concern amongst LGBT+ people regarding increased substance and/or alcohol misuse during the pandemic, as well as relapses from sobriety.

This review outlines several threats to the safety of LGBT+ people during the pandemic. Living in unsupportive home environments during lockdown(s) and having to conceal LGBT+ identities is identified as a key issue, particularly amongst younger LGBT+ people. This is described as compounding experiences of isolation and loneliness and having negative impacts of mental health.

Some of the evidence identified by this review also describes experiences of domestic abuse among LGBT+ communities, exacerbated by increased time spent with abusers in high-stress situations and limited opportunities to access support. Increased experiences of harassment and violence outside the home during the pandemic is also identified by this review. This is in part attributed to LGBT+ identities and relationships being considered more visible during lockdown(s). This review also identified evidence of increased online harassment during the pandemic, which is attributed to increased hostility toward LGBT+ people in the media.

Some evidence identified by this review suggests that trans people are at greater risk of homelessness than cis people during the pandemic. Some evidence also suggests LGBTI migrants are at increased risk of homelessness due to difficulties socially distancing in shared accommodation and experiences of homophobic and transphobic abuse in the places they are staying. Evidence also identifies the pandemic causing financial difficulties for LGBT+ people, resulting in increased risk of eviction and homelessness.

Due to a lack of robust data collection on the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK, the scale of the COVID-19 crisis and rates of COVID-19 infection or mortality for this population are unknown. Some evidence identified by this review suggests that LGBT+ people may delay accessing health services during the pandemic due to fears and past experiences of discrimination. There is also evidence of LGBT+ people not being able to access healthcare and medication, particularly trans people and LGBT+ disabled people. Access to transition-related care is identified as a particular issue, with the pandemic causing further delays to waiting times to access gender dysphoria clinics (GDC).

This review identified evidence of LGBT+ people experiencing difficulties and reluctance accessing sexual health screening and treatment during the pandemic. Difficulties accessing treatment is identified as a particular issue for those living with HIV. Reductions in monitoring of HIV-related medication and conflicting information on shielding requirements were also identified as concerns for LGBT+ people with HIV.

This review identified a small amount of evidence that suggests some LGBT+ people have experienced financial hardship during the pandemic. Some evidence also highlights limited hardship relief funding for LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees, resulting in experiences of food poverty and being unable to afford medicine.

Evidence identified by this review suggests UK LGBT+ services have experienced increased demand for their services during the pandemic. This is attributed to increased isolation, decreased mental health, concerns around safety and difficulties accessing medication/healthcare amongst LGBT+ service users. LGBT+ services also report increased incidences of domestic violence, and homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic (HBT) abuse.

This review provides evidence of a preference amongst LGBT+ people to receive support from LGBT+ services during the pandemic. This is attributed to feeling better understood and better treated when compared to engaging with non-LGBT specific services, as well as support being considered quicker and valuable in helping LGBT+ people feel part of a community. There is, however, evidence that particular LGBT+ groups feel that LGBT+ services cannot address their needs. This includes LGBT+ parents, minority ethnic groups and people of colour, women, and disabled people.

Evidence identified by this review show LGBT+ services have increased their online provision of support during the pandemic. A range of barriers to successful provision of support online were however identified. This included concerns around online security and safeguarding, resistance from service users and/or trustees, as well as services lacking knowledge, skills and software/equipment.

Evidence identified by this review also suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a financial impact on LGBT+ services, with a loss of earned income / donations, and a loss of income via contract services/grant funding, all of which were identified to jeopardise LGBT+ services' long-term survival. Some evidence also describes LGBT+ services being ineligible and/or unable to secure funding from Government support schemes.

Additional themes identified by this review include LGBT+ people feeling pressured to 'come out' while home working, concerns around the rainbow flag being repurposed to represent support for the NHS during the pandemic, and concerns that the pandemic has diverted attention away from recent threats to LGBT+ rights.

A key finding of this review is the identification of significant evidence gaps. These gaps relate to policy areas pertinent both to the experiences of LGBT+ communities during the pandemic, and to specific LGBT+ groups. In particular, there is a need to explore the experiences of LGBT+ people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and LGBT+ people of colour, as well as LGBT+ disabled people; which are largely absent from the current evidence base. There is also a need to disaggregate the experiences of lesbian women and bi people, which are often subsumed under the 'LGB' umbrella. There is an under-representation of the experiences of the youngest members of LGBT+ communities (under 18-year olds), and LGBT+ migrants. There are also groups whose experiences are absent from the existing evidence base, including pansexual people, asexual people, and those who are intersex. Finally, although there is some evidence regarding the general experiences of trans and non-binary people, further research is required to interrogate the specific manifestations of disadvantage and inequality experienced during the pandemic
Exploitation Route The research can be taken forward by researchers seeking to fill significant evidence gaps with LGBT+ communities on experiences of the pandemic - this can include supplementary qualitative research or the use of pre-existing sources of secondary data. The findings can also be used by voluntary and community sector organisations who seek to establish a case for by-and-for specific funding and services to address the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on communities, including for the sustainment of VCS themselves who continue to be a key source of support.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice
URL https://natcen.ac.uk/our-research/research/the-experiences-of-uk-lgbtplus-communities-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
 
Description The findings of this research has, and continues to, improve public understanding on the experiences of LGBT+ communities during COVID-19. It is also highlights the integral role of the UK LGBT+ voluntary and community sector in supporting the LGBT+ communities post-COVID-19, and makes a case for intersectional, dedicated sources of funding. This includes the development of Consortium's LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund, whereby £465,000 is available through small grants to LGBT+ groups and organisations who are community-led and whose primary focus is one of our 5 priority targeted areas: Trans and Non-Binary people; Those facing racial injustice; D/deaf and/or Disabled people; Older people; and Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans+ Women.
First Year Of Impact 2022
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Member of Advisory Group on associated research projects
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description ESRC ADR-UK RRD and Access Fund application on LGBTQ+ Health, Wellbeing and Education 
Organisation Royal Holloway, University of London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I am CO-I on a shortlisted ESRC ADR-UK RRD and Access Fund application on LGBTQ+ Health, Wellbeing and Education: Linking the Census to key administrative datasets', as public engagement lead.
Collaborator Contribution The objective of this project is to utilise Census 2021 to create a linkage spine that is then used to augment existing administrative datasets from England and Wales that contain a wealth of detailed and/or longitudinal data. The Census is a snapshot in time and refers to a brief window in 2021. Linkages not only provide much more comprehensive sets of variables, but extend over time for both the individual observed and the group (local, regional or national) as a whole. In addition to constructing this Research-Ready Data, we will engage in Early Pathfinder Research to establish the profound significance of the Census 2021 to LGBT+ research and policy
Impact N/A
Start Year 2021
 
Description Media coverage around publication of evidence review 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The research was covered widely in the media, featuring on Sky News and Times Radio, in The Independent, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Forbes and PinkNews, and in over 100 regional newspapers, with a total estimated reach of over 8 million people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021