What Predicts Adjustment to Aging among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Older Adults?

IntroductionIntervention programs that highlight predictors of adjustment to aging (AtA) for minority older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) populations are scarce.ObjectiveThe aim of this preliminary study is to build a structural model to explore whether socio-demographic, health and lifestyle-related variables, are correlates of AtA in a group of LGB older adults.MethodsThe sample comprised 287 LGB older adults aged 75 years old and older. Convenience sampling was used to gather questionnaire data. Measures encompassed the adjustment to aging scale, the satisfaction with life scale, demographics and lifestyle and health-related characteristics. Structural equation modeling was used to explore a structural model of the self-reported AtA, comprising all the above variables.ResultsThe structural model indicated the following significant correlates: perceived health (β = 0.456; P < 0.001), leisure (β = 0.378; P < 0.001), income (β = 0.302; P < 0.001), education (β = 0.299; P = 0.009), spirituality (β = 0.189; p <0 .001), sex (β = 0.156; P < 0.001), physical activity (β = 0.142; P < 0.001), satisfaction with life (β = 0.126; P < 0.001), and marital status (β = 0.114; P = 0.008). The variables explain respectively 76.4% of the variability of AtA.ConclusionsThese outcomes suggest that policy making and community interventions with LGB older adults may benefit of including variables, such as, perceived health, leisure and income, as these were pointed out as significant for this group of older adults for promoting adjustment to aging in late adulthood.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG AGING SEXUAL MINORITY CANADIANS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1113 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S303-S304

Author(s):

Arne Stinchcombe ◽

Nicole G Hammond ◽

Kimberley Wilson

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Protective Role ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

And Bisexual

Abstract Sexual minority older adults face minority stressors that are associated with higher rates of mental illness. The stress buffering effects of social support within majority populations are well documented. Using a large population-based sample of aging Canadians, we sought to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and depressive symptoms, and determine whether this relationship is moderated by social support and sex. Baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) were used (n = 46147). Participants were between the ages of 45-85 years at time of recruitment (mean age = 62.46, SD = 10.27), and self-reported their sexual orientation as heterosexual or lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) (2.1%). Social support and depressive symptoms were measured using validated instruments. Four functional social support subscales were derived: tangible, positive social interaction, affectionate, and emotional/informational. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for relevant covariates were conducted. LGB identification was associated with greater depressive symptoms when compared to heterosexual participants (p = 0.032). As evidenced by a significant 3-way interaction (p = 0.030), increasing tangible social support was associated with a corresponding decrease in the risk of depressive symptoms; this relationship was most pronounced for lesbian and bisexual women. A significant 2-way interaction (p = 0.040) revealed that as emotional/informational social support increased, depressive symptoms decreased, with greater disparity between LGB and heterosexual participants at lower levels of social support. The results highlight the importance of social support in promoting mental health, especially among sexual minority older adults.

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The Physical and Mental Health of Lesbian, Gay Male, and Bisexual (LGB) Older Adults: The Role of Key Health Indicators and Risk and Protective Factors

The Gerontologist ◽

10.1093/geront/gns123 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 664-675 ◽

Cited By ~ 178

Author(s):

K. I. Fredriksen-Goldsen ◽

C. A. Emlet ◽

H.-J. Kim ◽

A. Muraco ◽

E. A. Erosheva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Gay Male ◽

And Bisexual

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P-1021 - Older adults' adjustment to aging, age representation and subjective age: a multiple correspondence analysis

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(12)75188-x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

S.V. Humboldt ◽

I.P. Leal

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Correspondence Analysis ◽

Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽

Subjective Age ◽

Adjustment To Aging

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Gratitude as a Mediator of the Effects of Savoring on Positive Adjustment to Aging

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415020919999 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 009141502091999

Author(s):

Fred B. Bryant ◽

Karen A. Osowski ◽

Jennifer L. Smith

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Future Research ◽

Future Directions ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Attitudes Toward Aging ◽

Life Lessons ◽

Adjustment To Aging

We extended the previous experimental work with older adults by testing mediating variables through which savoring valuable “life lessons” improves attitudes toward aging and boosts well-being. A sample of 202 adults aged 65 or older were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition (in which they reflected on important lessons life had taught them) or a control condition (in which they reflected on their typical morning routine). Contemplating life lessons increased feelings of gratitude, which in turn boosted positive attitudes toward aging, life satisfaction, state hope, and state self-esteem. Additional analyses supported a three-path mediational model, in which reflecting on life lessons increased levels of savoring, which led to greater gratitude, which in turn predicted stronger positive attitudes toward aging, life satisfaction, and hope. We discuss implications of these findings for future research on savoring interventions for older adults and suggest future directions designed to advance understanding of these experimental effects.

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LGBT Older Adults at a Crossroads in Mainland China: The Intersections of Stigma, Cultural Values, and Structural Changes Within a Shifting Context

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415019837614 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 88 (4) ◽

pp. 440-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Boya Hua ◽

Vickie F. Yang ◽

Karen Fredriksen Goldsen

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Human Rights ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Filial Piety ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Mainland China ◽

Chinese Society ◽

Loss Of Face ◽

And Bisexual

In this article, we explore the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults in mainland China, with an emphasis on the shifting nature of the cultural context. Based on a culturally informed perspective, the intersection of LGBT stigma with cultural values (familial responsibility, filial piety, and loss of face) and larger structural changes (the aftermath of the one-child policy, economic reforms and globalization, LGBT human rights, and HIV policies) are creating dramatic shifts in Chinese society and impacting the lives of LGBT older adults. The increasing prevalence of HIV among gay and bisexual older men, although rarely acknowledged, is also contributing to challenges facing LGBT older adults and their families. These changes render LGBT older adults and those living with HIV and their caregivers at risk of economic insecurity. Resilience and resistance of LGBT older adults in China must be considered in both practice and policy to strengthen LGBT human rights globally.

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