Assessment of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Nepal: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

UNLABELLED: Background and objectives: Anxiety and depressive symptoms among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are growing public health concerns. Despite extensive global research on these issues among GBMSM, they are understudied in low- and middle-income settings like Nepal. Therefore, the present study focused on assessing the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among GBMSM in Nepal. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 842 GBMSM in Nepal between March and May 2024. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were employed to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized to examine the relationships between the outcome variables (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms). RESULTS: Participants showed a concerning prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Engagement in transactional sex and substance use was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants who had engaged in chemsex were also more likely to have depressive symptoms. Conversely, single participants were less likely to experience depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed a noteworthy prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among GBMSM in Nepal. These findings underscore the critical need for targeted mental health interventions to address the unique needs of GBMSM engaged in substance use and chemsex.