Experiences of police‐related stress among a U.S. national cohort of gay and bisexual men

Abstract

AbstractMarginalized groups (including people of Color and sexual minorities) have been over‐policed and specifically targeted based on their race/ethnicity and identity. The deleterious effects of over‐policing marginalized groups include overrepresentation in the carceral system, experiencing higher rates of violence from police, and extend to affect mental health and stress levels. This study examines police‐related stress among a U.S. national cohort of gay and bisexual men (collected in late 2020 and early 2021) and its association with race/ethnicity, age, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, income, and other characteristics of interest. Our results show that the odds of reporting extreme police‐related stress were 2.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] [2.08, 3.41]) times higher for Black individuals than for their White counterparts. Odds were also significantly greater for those who have experienced race‐based (odds ratio [OR] = 2.26, 95% CI [1.81–2.82] or identity‐based discrimination (OR = 2.05, 95% CI [1.66, 2.54]). Our findings demonstrate variation in police‐related stress among a cohort of gay and bisexual men; with men of Color and low‐income men among the most affected by police‐related stress. For this population, police‐related stress should be considered for its potential deleterious effect on HIV vulnerability and reporting violent crimes to police (including intimate partner violence and hate crimes).