LGBTQ Aging: Mental Health at Midlife and Older Adulthood

Premised upon strength-based models of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer (LGBTQ) aging, this Internet study explored relationships among mental and physical health, financial anxiety, body shame, alienation, loneliness, self-compassion, and self-transcendence in midlife and olde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of LGBT Issues in Counseling Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 180 - 196
Main Authors Greene, Darrell C., Britton, Paula J., Shepherd, J. Brad
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 01.10.2016
Subjects
LGBTQ aging
mental health
self-compassion
self-transcendence
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Summary:Premised upon strength-based models of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer (LGBTQ) aging, this Internet study explored relationships among mental and physical health, financial anxiety, body shame, alienation, loneliness, self-compassion, and self-transcendence in midlife and older adulthood. Findings suggest LGBTQ midlife mental health is predicted by financial anxiety, physical health, self-compassion, alienation, self-transcendence, and body shame (R² =.61), and self-compassion, physical health, financial anxiety, and self-transcendence in older adulthood (R² =.56). Older adults identifying as LGBTQ evidenced less body shame and financial anxiety, and higher self-compassion and mental health. Findings suggest the primacy of self-compassion in LGBTQ developmental gerontology. Counseling implications are discussed.
ISSN:1553-8605
1553-8338
DOI:10.1080/15538605.2016.1233839