Understanding patterns of psychosocial well-being among men who have sex with men in China: protocol and baseline characteristics of an observational, multi-center cohort study

Abstract Background and Aims Men who have sex with men (MSM) suffer increasingly complex psychological challenges that are understudied and underserved in developing countries such as China. This paper aims to describe the methodology, sample, and baseline characteristics of the study on patterns of psychosocial well-being among MSM in China. Methods The observational cohort study is conducted to examine the patterns of psychological problems among MSM. To be eligible, a participant has to be at least 18 years of age, HIV-negative, and have sex with another man in the last 6 months at enrollment. Participants’ recruitment and follow-up will be facilitated by local community-based organizations (CBOs) in five provinces of China. The questionnaire collects information on sexual identity, mental health and pain, social support and bullying, sexual behaviors, intimate partner violence, stigma and discrimination, social capital, and norms. Results We enrolled a total of 1188 eligible participants who will complete six biannual surveys starting from May 2022; the sample size was 408, 280, 251, 188, and 61 for Chengdu, Hohhot, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianshui, respectively. Participants living in Chengdu reported the highest score of depression (measured by PHQ-9), followed by Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hohhot, and Tianshui. Participants living in Shanghai reported the highest score of anxiety (measured by GAD-7). Conclusions With strong support and commitment from the local CBOs, this observational cohort study is conducted to examine the patterns of psychological problems among MSM. We observed remarkable heterogeneities across five included cities regarding age, education, marital status, and personal income.