Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals in Moldova

BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals often face physical and mental health disparities. In Moldova, a lower-middle-income, former Soviet state, there are few legal protections or social rights for LGBTQ+ people. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities for many communities that have historically been marginalized, including LGBTQ+ people. The impact of the pandemic on LGBTQ+ people in Moldova was previously unstudied. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals in Moldova. We recruited self-identified LGBTQ+ people in Moldova to participate in an online survey or in-depth interviews. We analyzed interviews with a grounded theory methodology and survey data with descriptive statistics and we interpreted the data sets concurrently to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: From June to July 2022, we collected 86 online surveys and 12 interviews. Regarding mental wellbeing, our findings suggest LGBTQ+ people experienced both negative and positive effects due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants described an inability to be their authentic selves, especially when sheltering with unaccepting family members, as well as feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. At the same time, participants described social support from the LGBTQ+ community and time and circumstances in which to explore their identities. Relating to physical wellbeing, participants reported interruptions to transgender medical care and some concerns about housing affordability. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to a limited set of health studies on the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in Moldova. Our results highlight some unique impacts of the pandemic on LGBTQ+ people and underscore the importance of further research in this area and on the necessity for response plans that can address the needs of LGTBQ+ people in future health crises. KEY MESSAGES: • Many LGBTQ+ people in Moldova cited the pandemic as an opportunity to explore their identities, especially away from the public eye. • During the pandemic, many LGBTQ+ individuals in Moldova needed to conceal their authentic selves from household members, exacerbating feelings of depression and loneliness.