Old, Sad and Alone

Dorfman, Rachelle A.; Walters, Karina L.; Burke, Patrick; Hardin, Lovida; Karanik, Theresa; Raphael, John; Silverstein, Emanuel

doi:10.1300/j083v24n01_04

Cited by 87 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…LGBT and other community networks, and affirmative religious and spiritual groups for social support (Choi & Meyer, 2016;Dorfman et al, 1995;Orel, 2017;Shippy et al, 2004). Social networks include relationships with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, members of the community, acquaintances, as well as online networks (Erosheva et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Support and Social Networks among LGBT Older Adults in Rural Southern Appalachia

Dakin

Williams

MacNamara

2020

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

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While research has begun to examine social networks and social support among LGBT older adults living in rural contexts, no research to date has examined these issues within the unique context of rural southern Appalachia. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to extend this emerging area of research by exploring the perspectives of LGBT older adults on their social networks and social support while living in rural southern Appalachia. In this study, 11 LGBT-identifying older adults were interviewed regarding their social networks and social support within the cultural context of rural Southern Appalachia. Participants generally described having rich informal social support networks that seemed to buffer and mitigate the deleterious effects of the wider culture of homophobia and transphobia. These networks, while varying from person to person, included families of choice (spouse / partner, close friends), neighbors, pets, biological family / families of origin, religious and spiritual communities, women's or men's social groups, and current or former coworkers. While six of the participants voiced that their support system was adequate for their needs, there were reports of mixed, tenuous, or insufficient support systems for five participants. After reviewing main findings, implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Support and Social Networks among LGBT Older Adults in Rural Southern Appalachia

Dakin

Williams

MacNamara

2020

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

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“…Specifically, the focus of this study was on the differential role of families of origin versus families of choice on psychological well-being. Results indicated that LGB and heterosexual adults reported similar overall social support, a finding supported by previous research (Dorfman et al, 1995;Grossman, D'Augelli, & Hershberger, 2000;Grossman, D'Augelli, & O'Connell, 2001). LGB adults reported the same network size as heterosexuals but with significantly more members in the family of choice.…”

Section: Personal Resourcessupporting

confidence: 84%

Effects of social support and heterosexism on the psychological well-being of diverse adults

Spencer¹

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(mastery) and external resources (social support) as a way to protect against the negative influence of internalized homophobia. These findings are consistent with the minority stress paradigm. However, it is possible that for LG individuals in emerging adulthood, the instability which characterizes this stage of life is compounded by the developmental challenges posed by sexual minority status. The current study contributes to the literature by showing that the effects of sexual orientation on well being are reduced or eliminated with the addition of personal resources and that these factors may buffer against the negative effects of heterosexism among sexual minority persons. Future research should focus on collecting longitudinal data across emerging adulthood to better understand developmental differences and coping strategies as a function of sexual orientation. Recommendations are made to reduce heterosexism through support-building and educational interventions. Effects of iii Dedication This document, or more importantly what this document represents, is dedicated to three who believed in me above all others but were unable to stick around long enough to see the finished product-to my dearest Uncle Skip, Miss Valentine Xavier, and Mr.

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“…Greater support from friends among sexual minority aging adults predicted greater quality of life regarding these psychological outcomes. Previous studies addressed the significant effect of social support on health outcomes among this population (Flatt et al, 2022;Masini & Barrett, 2008;Fredriksen-Goldsen & Muraco, 2010;Wallace, Cochran, Durazo, Ford, 2011;Dorfman et al, 1995;Grossman et al, 2000), yet this study is one of few studies that illustrates the different effects of family and friend support on psychological and social well-being.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Differential effects of family and friend support in sexual minority aging adults: Analysis of MIDUS 3

Song, Ph.D.,

Kim,

Canales

et al. 2023

IntHealthcRev

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Background: Sexual minorities experience disproportionate stress from historical and current oppression and social discrimination/isolation compared to their heterosexual counterparts, leading to greater risks of adverse mental health. Although social support serves as a significant protector buffering stress on physical and mental health, little is known about its effect on psychological well-being among sexual minority aging adults. Study objective: We aimed to explore the effects of social support from family and family on three psychological outcomes: life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social well-being: between sexual minority and heterosexual aging adults using national representative data from the 2013-2014 Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS 3) in the U.S. Methods: Key variables included: sexual orientation, family support, friend support, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social well-being. We conducted adjusted, multiple linear regressions to examine life satisfaction/self-esteem/social well-being in relation to perceived discrimination, family support, friend support, and two-way interactions using backward stepwise regression. Results: Of the 2,596 U.S. participants (Mean[age]=64.19; SD=11.0), 3% identified as sexual minorities and 9.7 % were racial/ethnic minorities. Sexual minority participants were more likely to perceive discrimination and less likely to have family support compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Regarding to adjusted linear regression models, heterosexual participants with greater family support had greater psychological wellbeing compared to their sexual minority counterparts with greater family support. However, sexual minority participants with greater friend support experienced a steeper increase in psychological outcomes based on life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social well-being compared to heterosexual participants with greater friend support. Contribution to Evidence-Based Care: The findings suggest that sexual minority aging adults experience disproportionately more lifetime discrimination and lower family support compared to their heterosexual peers. Future studies and social programs should address the differential effects of family and friend support on physical and psychological indicators among sexual minority aging adults.

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Old, Sad and Alone

Cited by 87 publications

References 35 publications

Social Support and Social Networks among LGBT Older Adults in Rural Southern Appalachia

Social Support and Social Networks among LGBT Older Adults in Rural Southern Appalachia

Effects of social support and heterosexism on the psychological well-being of diverse adults

Differential effects of family and friend support in sexual minority aging adults: Analysis of MIDUS 3

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