Impact of interventions on mpox transmission during the 2022 outbreak in Canada: a mathematical modeling study of three different cities.

Objectives: The global mpox (clade II) outbreak of 2022 primarily affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) and was met with swift community and public health responses. We aimed to estimate the relative impact of changes in sexual behaviours, contact tracing/isolation, and first-dose vaccination on transmission in Canadian cities.

Methods: We estimated changes in sexual behaviours during the outbreak using 2022 data from the Engage Cohort Study which recruited self-identified GBM in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver (n=1,445).

Minority Stress, Psychological Distress, Sexual Compulsivity, and Avoidance-Based Motivations Associated with Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV: Examining Direct and Indirect Associations Using Cross-Sectional Structural Equation Modeling.

Objective: Sexual minority men (SMM) living with HIV report significantly greater methamphetamine use compared with heterosexual and HIV-negative peers. Greater use may be related to stressors (e.g.

Self-administered mindfulness interventions reduce stress in a large, randomized controlled multi-site study.

Mindfulness witnessed a substantial popularity surge in the past decade, especially as digitally self-administered interventions became available at relatively low costs. Yet, it is uncertain whether they effectively help reduce stress. In a preregistered (OSF https://doi.

Using an intersectionality-based approach to evaluate mental health services use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Aims: To cope with homonegativity-generated stress, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) use more mental health services (MHS) compared with heterosexual men. Most previous research on MHS among GBM uses data from largely white HIV-negative samples. Using an intersectionality-based approach, we evaluated the concomitant impact of racialization and HIV stigma on MHS use among GBM, through the mediating role of perceived discrimination (PD).

Characteristics of the Sexual Networks of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver: Insights from Canada's 2022 Mpox Outbreak.

Background: The 2022-2023 global mpox outbreak disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). We investigated differences in GBM's sexual partner distributions across Canada's 3 largest cities and over time, and how they shaped transmission.

Methods: The Engage Cohort Study (2017-2023) recruited GBM via respondent-driven sampling in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver (n = 2449).

Examining the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on syndemic production and PrEP use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Vancouver, Canada.

Background: The secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may disproportionately affect gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM), particularly related to HIV prevention and treatment outcomes. We applied syndemic theory to examine PrEP disruptions during the during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vancouver, Canada.

Methods: Sexually-active GBM, aged 16 + years, were enrolled through respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from February 2017 to August 2019.

Syndemic Factors and Lifetime Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Sexual Minority Men.

Bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV), the reporting of both IPV victimization and perpetration, is likely the most common form of violence among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men (GBM) and is thought to be part of a larger syndemic of stressors. This purpose of this study was to examine associations between syndemic factors and lifetime bidirectional IPV among GBM in three Canadian cities to inform future interventions. Data from GBM ( = 2449) were used to fit three logistic regression models with lifetime bidirectional IPV as the outcome and four syndemic factors (i.

Unpacking racism during COVID-19: narratives from racialized Canadian gay, bisexual, and queer men.

Objective: Epidemics impact individuals unevenly across race, gender, and sexuality. In addition to being more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, evidence suggests racialized gender and sexual minorities experienced disproportionate levels of discrimination and stigma during the COVID-19 epidemic. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT), we examined the experiences of gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQM) of colour facing discrimination during COVID-19.

Are social support, loneliness, and social connection differentially associated with happiness across levels of introversion-extraversion?

This study examines whether extraversion moderates the association between subjective happiness and measures of social connectedness using data from Canadian residents, aged 16+, recruited online during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (21 April 2021-1 June 2021). To accomplish this aim we tested the moderating effect of extraversion scores on the association between Subjective Happiness scores and several social health measures: Perceived Social Support, Loneliness, social network size, and time with friends. Among 949 participants, results show that lower social loneliness ( < .

'It's not as good as the face-to-face contact': A sociomaterialist analysis of the use of virtual care among Canadian gay, bisexual and queer men during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the widespread adoption of virtual care-the use of communication technologies to receive health care at home. We explored the differential impacts of the rapid transition to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic on health-care access and delivery for gay, bisexual and queer men (GBQM), a population that disproportionately experiences sexual and mental health disparities in Canada. Adopting a sociomaterial theoretical perspective, we analysed 93 semi-structured interviews with GBQM (n = 93) in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 (n = 42) and June-October 2021 (n = 51).

Examining differential success in recruitment using respondent driven sampling (RDS) in a multi-site study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Background: The Engage Study is a longitudinal biobehavioral cohort study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Baseline data (2,449 participants) were collected from February 2017 - August 2019 using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Recruitment in Montreal required fewer seeds, had a much shorter recruitment period, and recruited the largest sample.

Examining Associations Between Resilience and PrEP Use Among HIV-negative GBM in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

This study evaluated the association between resilience and PrEP use among a population-based sample of Canadian gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). Sexually active GBM aged ≥ 16 years old were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver from 02/2017 to 07/2019. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of HIV-negative/unknown GBM who met clinical eligibility for PrEP.

'I did not have sex outside of our bubble': changes in sexual practices and risk reduction strategies among sexual minority men in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, jurisdictions across the globe, including Canada, enacted containment measures that affected intimacy and sexual relations. This article examines how public health measures during COVID-19 impacted the sexual practices of sexual minority men- gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men-and how they adopted and modified guidelines to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted 93 semi-structured interviews with men ( = 93) in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, between November 2020 to February 2021 ( = 42) and June to October 2021 ( = 51).

The Impact of Working from Home on Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of Canadian Worker's Mental Health during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a considerable expansion in the way work settings are structured, with a continuum emerging between working fully in-person and from home. The pandemic has also exacerbated many risk factors for poor mental health in the workplace, especially in public-facing jobs. Therefore, we sought to test the potential relationship between work setting and self-rated mental health.

Loneliness and social support as key contributors to burnout among Canadians workers in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: COVID-19 has dramatically affected Western Society's relationship with work and contributed to increased worker burnout. Existing studies on burnout have mostly emphasized workplace culture, leadership, and employee engagement as key contributors to burnout. In this cross-sectional study, we examine the associations between Malach-Pines Short Burnout Measure (MPSBM) scores and participant's self reported personal characteristics, financial strain, workplace conditions, work-life balance, and social inclusion among Canadians living during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.