Predictors of Psychological Distress for Bi + Individuals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bisexual and pansexual (bi+) individuals remain understudied subpopulations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGTBQ+) community, despite experiencing complex stressors and stigma by both LGBTQ + and heterosexual communities. In this study, we used correlation analyses, hierarchical linear regression and moderation analyses to explore the relationships between societal stressors (concern about COVID and discrimination) and a protective factor (social support) in a sample bi + undergraduate and graduate students. The correlation results revealed positive, bivariate relationship between worry about COVID and psychological distress, along with everyday discrimination and psychological distress. The correlation results also revealed a negative bivariate correlation between social support and psychological distress for bi + participants. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that worry about COVID, everyday discrimination and social support were significant predictors of psychological distress for bi + individuals. Finally, moderation analyses revealed that social support moderated the relationship between everyday discrimination and psychological distress but not the relationship between COVID-Worry and Psychological Distress for bi + individuals. Findings from the present study will help inform clinicians of specific risks to bi + individual’s mental health when working with this population, specifically regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.