Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Existing Mental Health Disorders among LGBTQ Population in Selected Support Groups in Kenya

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is
common among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
queer (LGBTQ) individuals. In addition to PTSD, the
condition is likely to co-exist with additional psychiatric
disorders (Livingston, Berke, Scholl, Ruben, &
Shipherd, 2020). However, little is known about the
additional psychiatric disorders with PTSD among the

LGBTQ individuals. Therefore, this current cross-
sectional survey examined the estimate of PTSD and

other comorbidities among the LGBTQ individuals in
selected support groups in Kenya. Researcher-generated
sociodemographic questionnaire and standardized
psychological tools namely, The Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Becks Depression
Inventory-II, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
(AUDIT) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)
were used as research instruments to collect data from
the sample size of 148participants that were recruited
using purposive sampling technique. Collected data was
analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics,
namely Fisher’s Exact test, Chi-square test, Pearson
correlation test, and Binary Logistic Regression. Results
from the study showed that PTSD was 93% of the
LGBTQ with PTSD equally have depressive disorder,
74% of the participants with PTSD similarly have
alcohol use disorder, and that 89.3% of LGBTQ
individuals with PTSD also use illicit drugs. Pearson
correlation test indicated that there was a positive
correlation between PTSD and depression, and drug use
disorder. Also, a positive correlation was found between
alcohol use disorder and depressive disorder. Binary
logistic regression showed that LGBTQ individuals with
PTSD are 15.9 adjusted odd ratio to developing
depressive disorder (AOR: 15.92; 95% CI: 5.517-
45.962). Conversely, alcohol use disorder was found to be
a protective factor in this study (AOR: .87; 95% CI: .355
– 2.139). This suggests that participants used alcohol in
this study for positive adjustment in coping with PTSD
symptoms. In conclusion, the experience of
discrimination, victimization, and minority stress by
members of LGBTQ in Kenya have led to other
psychiatric conditions besides PTSD.