Coping Strategies and Mental Disorders among the LGBT+ Community in Malaysia

The LGBT+ community in Malaysia is vulnerable to mental disorders due to the pressures of being in a conservative heteronormative culture. This study aimed to study the association between coping strategies as well as the sociodemographic factors of LGBT+ individuals with mental disorders and quantify the occurrence of mental disorders among them. This study used a cross-sectional design. The self-rated Brief Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) were used to this end. A total of 152 participants were recruited. Among the participants, 67.8% used mainly problem-focused coping strategies, 29.6% employed emotion-based coping, and 6.6% used avoidance coping. The prevalence of mental disorders in general and major depressive disorder was much higher than in the general Malaysian population (80.3% and 40.1%, respectively). The only sociodemographic factor that was significantly associated with mental disorders was bisexuality. Problem-focused coping is associated with fewer mental disorders, and emotion-based coping is associated with a higher prevalence of mental disorders. More studies need to be conducted to better understand and better manage the mental disorders of the Malaysian LGBT+ community.