Sexual orientation concealment and mental health among Black, indigenous, and people of color men who have sex with men living in the U.S.: A scoping review

IntroductionThis review synthesizes the literature on the associations between concealment and mental health problems among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) men who have sex with men (MSM).MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted using five databases to identify peer-reviewed articles and published dissertations.ResultsEleven studies were included. Mental health outcomes were (a) poor psychological well-being (k = 7), (b) depressive symptoms (k = 6), (c) anxiety symptoms (k = 4), and (d) substance use (k = 2).ConclusionsResults suggest potential differential associations by race/ethnicity. Methodological limitations and future directions are discussed.