The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing social inequalities, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. These communities faced higher risks of infection, death, and poor mental and physical health due to factors like socioeconomic disadvantages, barriers to accessing COVID-19 prevention measures, and increased social isolation. Existing research highlights the protective role of social support, yet there's a gap in understanding how social support disparities vary across different marginalized populations and how intersecting marginalized identities influence social support structures. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the disparities in social support from family, friends, and significant others among marginalized groups in the U.S. during the pandemic. Understanding these disparities is crucial for developing targeted interventions to address social inequalities and promote health equity.

The literature review implicitly highlights existing research on the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities, emphasizing increased risks of infection, mortality, and poor mental health outcomes. It notes the protective role of social support in health and well-being, while pointing to a lack of research on specific social support sources (family, friends, significant others) across different marginalized groups and the intersectional effects of multiple marginalized identities. This sets the stage for the current study's focus on addressing this research gap.

This study employed a quantitative methodology using a survey administered to 1499 U.S. adults across 45 states via the Qualtrics platform. The survey measured perceived social support using the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), encompassing three subscales (family, friends, significant other). A power analysis determined a minimum sample size of 128. Independent sample t-tests compared social support levels between marginalized and non-marginalized individuals for each support source. Factorial ANOVA analyzed the interactive effects of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability status on social support. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 27.0, with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.

Independent sample t-tests revealed significant differences in social support across various groups. Racial/ethnic minorities reported significantly less social support from family and friends compared to White individuals. Sexual minorities reported significantly less social support from family. Persons with disabilities reported significantly less social support from family and friends. Factorial ANOVA results revealed a significant interaction between race/ethnicity and sexual orientation regarding social support from family. Specifically, while racial/ethnic minorities reported less social support from friends than White individuals, there was no significant difference in social support from friends between White LGBTQ+ individuals and racial/ethnic minority LGBTQ+ individuals or between White LGBTQ+ individuals and straight racial/ethnic minorities. There were no significant interactions between race/ethnicity and disability status on social support from family. However, a significant main effect for disability status emerged, with non-disabled individuals reporting more social support from family than disabled individuals. Regarding support from significant others, no significant interactions or main effects were found. The lack of significant differences in social support from significant others across groups might reflect the strong, committed nature of these relationships during the pandemic, potentially increasing support from partners.

The findings indicate that racial/ethnic minorities experience lower levels of social support than White individuals, potentially due to pre-existing racial/ethnic differences in social network size and religious affiliation, which were further impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on in-person gatherings. The lower social support among sexual minorities may reflect strained familial relationships due to potential concealment of sexual orientation and parental disapproval. Reduced social support among persons with disabilities could be linked to challenges in forming and maintaining social connections and limited access to family and friends, possibly exacerbated by reduced digital literacy for accessing support during the pandemic. The absence of significant interaction effects between race/ethnicity and disability status suggests unique challenges for individuals with single marginalized identities compared to individuals with multiple marginalized identities. The consistently high levels of social support from significant others across demographic groups might reflect increased intimacy and reliance on partners due to pandemic-related restrictions.

This study highlights significant disparities in social support during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the vulnerability of marginalized communities. Addressing these disparities requires multi-pronged interventions focusing on improving digital literacy and accessibility, increasing resources for marginalized populations, and promoting online outreach programs. Further research should explore the long-term impacts of these disparities and the effectiveness of interventions in mitigating social inequalities.

The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to establish causal relationships. The reliance on self-reported data might introduce biases. The study primarily focuses on the U.S. context, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other populations. The study did not examine the types of support offered or needed. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs to explore these aspects more effectively.