Mental health, resilience and HIV in older gay and bisexual men

Abstract

Em primeiro lugar, agradecer ao Prof. Doutor Henrique Pereira enquanto orientador da presente Dissertação, por toda a disponibilidade, atenção e paciência no decorrer de todo o processo e por me ter sempre incentivado a fazer mais e melhor, superando as expectativas que tinha de mim própria. Aos meus pais, pelos sacrifícios que fizeram e fazem todos os dias por mim, para que eu possa ter um futuro risonho. Prometo nunca vos desiludir. À minha irmã, por ser uma fonte inesgotável de motivação. Ao Miguel, por estar presente durante toda a minha caminhada, pelas palavras de carinho e de motivação, por nunca me deixar desistir. Por mesmo estando longe, estar sempre tão perto. À minha família, por todo o apoio que me deram e continuarão a dar. Ao meu Squad-Bárbara, Mariana e Marina-por serem o meu porto de abrigo em todos os momentos. Para sempre. Às minhas madrinhas, por todos os conselhos e por serem a minha bússola nesta aventura. Às minhas afilhadas, por todos os momentos que partilhámos, por todos os sorrisos e por confiarem na pessoa que sou. Aos meus amigos, por estarem presente nos momentos que me trouxeram até aqui. À minha EncantaTuna, por me ter ajudado a crescer durante todo o meu percurso e por me fazer ter algo ao qual posso sempre regressar. E, por último, à Cidade Neve e à Universidade da Beira Interior, por terem colocado no meu caminho tantas experiências, momentos e pessoas incríveis. Nunca serão esquecidas.

Psychosocial Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People Living in Portugal and Brazil—A Qualitative Study

“…This positive outlook may be linked to the participants' sense of belonging in their minority category and resilience, 67 which helped identify a certain level of positive marginality. 68 Coherence with their marginal status helped build a sense of authenticity and well-being, enabling the pandemic crisis to create higher resilience levels.…”

The Importance of Social Support, Positive Identity, and Resilience in the Successful Aging of Older Sexual Minority Men

“…Although there is no consensus on the definition of successful aging among sexual minorities, this process seems to encompass a subjective and dynamic system of acceptance of their positive gay/bisexual identity, with positive integration of mental, physical, and emotional health specificities. These factors would then be shaped by internal components, such as personality, coping skills, optimism, and resilience competence, as developed during the adversities experienced as a sexual minority [19]; and external components, such as social support networks, involvement in social activities, and specific policies aimed at protecting and reducing discrimination of sexual minorities [20][21][22].…”

“…In this sense, although problems experienced by individuals who are part of a sexual minority can cause extensive negative impacts, they can also contribute to the development of resilience, strengths, and skills that assist in positive coping during the aging process [22,23]. Older sexual minority individuals seem to be more resilient, more courageous, and exhibit a positive sense of identity and an optimistic attitude on life [19,24,25].…”

Sexual Health Determinants of Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Sexual Minority Men

“…With the growing recognition of overweight and obesity as significant, international public health concerns, the body of research investigating the relationship between obesity, sexual health, and sexual functioning in GBM is still scarce. Given the high prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in gay and bisexual men [ 32 ], its associated mental health concerns [ 33 ], and subsequent possible associations with BMI in Portuguese social environment (where sexual stigma still exists), this study was carried out to address a gap in the literature, since there is a lack of available studies in this field. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess sexual health determinants (sexual behavior and sexual functioning) in Portuguese GBM with normal weight, overweight, and obesity.…”