Recent versus lifetime experiences of discrimination and the mental and physical health of older lesbian women and gay men

Abstract

This study examines the potential health-related impact of recent versus lifetime experiences of sexual orientation discrimination among older Australian lesbian women and gay men. In a nationwide survey, a sample of 243 lesbian women and 513 gay men aged 60 years and over reported on their experiences of sexual orientation discrimination and their mental and physical health, including psychological distress, positive mental health and self-rated health. Among both lesbian women and gay men, recent discrimination uniquely predicted lower positive mental health after adjusting for experiences of discrimination across the lifetime and socio-demographic variables. In addition, recent discrimination uniquely predicted higher psychological distress among gay men. Experiences of discrimination over the lifetime further predicted higher psychological distress and poorer self-rated health among gay men after adjusting for recent experiences of discrimination and socio-demographic variables. However, there were no associations between lifetime discrimination and any of the outcome variables among lesbian women. Overall, recent and lifetime experiences of sexual orientation discrimination were related to mental and physical health in different ways, especially among the men. These findings have potential implications for policy/practice, and suggest that distinguishing between recent and lifetime experiences of discrimination may be useful when assessing potential health-related impacts of sexual orientation discrimination among older lesbian women and gay men, while also taking account of differences between these two groups.

Volunteering among Older Lesbian and Gay Adults: Associations with Mental, Physical and Social Well-Being

“…This model was developed to account not only for potential risk factors of poorer health and well-being in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations but also resilience and resources available to people for facilitating positive outcomes. While older lesbian and gay adults have endured long histories of stigma and marginalisation, which is associated with higher rates of mental health and other health challenges (Lyons et al, 2019), not all experience poor health (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013a, 2013b; Lyons et al, 2013). Resilience and health-promoting factors, such as social support or opportunities for social inclusion, may potentially offset the impact of stigma in some cases (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2014).…”

Older lesbian and gay adults’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to accessing health and aged care services in Australia

“…The Australian Government has also funded Silver Rainbow to deliver LGBTI inclusivity training, developed the Aged Care Diversity Framework and supported Actions to Support LGBTI Elders (a guide for aged care providers) to promote inclusivity in the aged care sector. Despite these recent changes, evidence suggests that older lesbian and gay people continue to experience discrimination due to their sexual orientation (Lyons, Alba, & Waling, 2019). Furthermore, Australia only legally recognised same‐sex marriage in December 2017.…”

“You Could Tell I Said the Wrong Things”: Constructions of Sexual Identity Among Older Gay Men in Healthcare Settings

“…We recruited 27 gay-identified men aged 50 or older through community organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ/2S+) in a large Canadian city. The age threshold we used to define older gay men (≥50) is common in research on the social conditions and experiences of older sexual and gender minority adults ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2019 ). We summarize the demographic characteristics of participants in Supplementary Table 1 .…”

“…There has been significant growth in scholarship on the healthcare experiences and needs of older gay men in recent years ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2019 ). This research has substantiated the prominent exposure of this population to pervasive and pernicious expressions of stigma and discrimination, including those reflecting the intersection of homophobia and agism, across healthcare settings ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013 ; Zanetos & Skipper, 2020 ).…”

“…This research has substantiated the prominent exposure of this population to pervasive and pernicious expressions of stigma and discrimination, including those reflecting the intersection of homophobia and agism, across healthcare settings ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013 ; Zanetos & Skipper, 2020 ). Given this context, it is unsurprising that older gay men continue to face profound barriers to healthcare access, unmet healthcare needs, and a greater burden of poor physical and mental health outcomes relative to their heterosexual counterparts ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013 ; Lyons et al, 2019 ).…”