Accelerated Social Aging in the Lesbian and Gay Community: Psychosocial Factors Influencing Aging Perceptions in Lesbian and Gay Adults

ObjectivesLesbian and gay individuals face unique experiences and expectations associated with growing older.MethodsIn a pilot study of perceptions of aging in lesbian and gay adults, 45 gay and 46 lesbian adult participants (ages = 55-87, 70% white) self-reported their health, perceptions of aging, community engagement, identity congruence, and stressful experiences.ResultsAccounting for age, health, subjective socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, lesbian women reported better self-perceptions of aging than gay men (<i>b</i> = 0.50, <i>SE</i> = 0.16, <i>p</i> < .01). Greater outness (<i>b</i> = 0.04, <i>SE</i> = 0.01, <i>p</i> = .01) and fewer daily stressful experiences (<i>b</i> = -0.14, <i>SE</i> = 0.05, <i>p</i> < .01) were associated with better self-perceptions of aging. In contrast, LGBTQ+ community engagement (<i>b</i> = -0.11, <i>SE</i> = 0.12, <i>p</i> = .38) showed no relation.DiscussionThe study provides a preliminary model of how lesbian and gay adults view their aging and identifies psychosocial risk and resilience factors.