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Envelhecimento e ajustamento psicossocial de pessoas heterossexuais, homossexuais e bissexuais no contexto português: estigma, saúde e resiliência
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Abstract(s)
O envelhecimento demográfico destaca-se como uma realidade cada vez mais
acentuada e com implicações multifatoriais na vida diária das populações. Em particular,
o ajustamento psicossocial tem um papel proeminente no processo de envelhecimento
ativo e saudável. Contudo, as pessoas seniores Lésbicas, Gays e Bissexuais (LGB) têm
desafios psicossociais e de saúde extraordinários aos apresentados às restantes pessoas
seniores. Este trabalho teve como principal objetivo avaliar o processo de ajustamento
psicossocial das pessoas seniores LGB e o seu impacto em diversos indicadores de saúde
mental e bem-estar. Desenvolveu-se um estudo com uma abordagem metodológica mista
e transversal, com duas amostras independentes, 648 seniores cisgénero – 368
heterossexuais e 280 LGB - participaram na fase quantitativa através de questionários
online e 23 seniores gays e bissexuais participaram na fase qualitativa através de
entrevistas individuais. Como outputs principais obtiveram-se um capítulo teórico
(capítulo 2) e seis empíricos (capítulos 3-8). Os principais resultados destacam: (1) uma
relação negativa e direta entre estigma sexual e os indicadores de saúde mental das
pessoas seniores LGB; (2) a existência de duplo estigma (sexual e etário) entre seniores
LGB portugueses e a sua importante relação com piores estados de saúde; (3) o duplo
impacto negativo da solidão e do idadismo na saúde mental das pessoas seniores
heterossexuais e o destacado papel mediador da resiliência nessa relação; (4) a existência
de efeitos negativos dos fatores de stress psicossocial na saúde mental das pessoas
seniores LGB e heterossexuais para além dos efeitos dos fatores protetores psicossociais;
(5) piores níveis nos fatores stressores em seniores LGB e, simultaneamente, melhores
níveis nos fatores protetores em seniores heterossexuais; (6) a construção da identidade
sexual em seniores LGB portugueses marcada por um contexto psicossocial
particularmente violento e estigmatizante; (7) a influencia saliente do contexto
psicossocial e da construção identitária na vivência das relações amorosas mais
prejudicadas nas pessoas seniores LGB; e (8) a capacidade de ajustamento psicossocial e
obtenção de bem-estar em seniores LGB em situações de risco extraordinário (contexto
de COVID-19). Estes resultados destacam os efeitos deletérios que o stress minoritário
pode ter na saúde, no bem-estar e no ajustamento psicossocial das pessoas seniores LGB,
adquirindo um efeito cumulativo de estigmatização ao longo do ciclo de vida e com uma
natureza multifatorial – nomeadamente histórica, social, relacional e pessoal. Efeitos
estes que refletem-se também em baixos níveis de fatores protetores e elevados níveis de
fatores stressores em comparação com seniores heterossexuais. Contudo, revelam também a capacidade excecional de resiliência nas pessoas seniores LGB perante a
adversidade ao longo da vida que, apesar de alguns custos psicossociais e de saúde,
conseguiram desenvolver competências de gestão de estigma e promoção de bem-estar.
Este estudo salienta a importância de futuras intervenções psicossociais e comunitárias
que foquem o contexto social comum como um dos fatores de promoção de segurança e
envelhecimento saudável em seniores LGB.
ABSTRACT: Demographic aging stands out as an increasingly accentuated reality with multifactorial implications for the daily lives of populations. In particular, psychosocial adjustment plays a prominent role in the active and healthy aging process. However, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) older adults have psychosocial and health challenges that are extraordinary to those presented by other older adults. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the psychosocial adjustment process of LGB seniors to aging and its impact on mental health and well-being indicators. A study was developed with a mixed and cross-sectional methodological approach, with two independent samples, 648 cisgender seniors - 368 heterosexuals and 280 LGB - participated in the quantitative phase through online questionnaires and 23 gay and bisexual seniors participated in the qualitative phase through individual interviews. As main outputs, one theoretical chapter (chapter 2) and six empirical ones (chapters 3-8) were obtained. The main results highlight: (1) a negative and direct relationship between sexual stigma and mental health indicators of LGB older adults; (2) the existence of double stigma (sexual and age) among Portuguese LGB older adults and its important relationship with worse health status; (3) the double negative impact of loneliness and ageism on the mental health of heterosexual older adults and the prominent mediating role of resilience in this relationship; (4) the existence of negative effects of psychosocial stress factors on the mental health of LGB and heterosexual older adults beyond the effects of psychosocial protective factors; (5) worse levels of stress factors in LGB older adults and, simultaneously, better levels of protective factors in heterosexual older adults; (6) the construction of the sexual identity of Portuguese LGB older adults marked by a particularly violent and stigmatizing psychosocial context; (7) the prominent influence of the psychosocial context and identity construction on the experience of the most damaged romantic relationships in LGB older adults; and (8) the capacity for psychosocial adjustment and achievement of well-being of LGB older adults in situations of extraordinary risk (COVID-19 context). These results highlight the deleterious effects that minority stress can have on the health, well-being, and psychosocial adjustment of LGB older adults, acquiring a cumulative effect of stigmatization throughout the life cycle and with a multifactorial nature – namely historical, social, relational, and personal. These effects are also reflected in low levels of protective factors and high levels of stressors compared to heterosexual seniors. However, they also reveal the exceptional resilience of LGB older adults in the face of lifelong adversity that, despite some psychosocial and health costs, they were able to develop skills in managing stigma and promoting well-being. This study highlights the importance of future psychosocial and community interventions that focus on the common social context as one of the factors promoting security and healthy aging in LGB older adults.
ABSTRACT: Demographic aging stands out as an increasingly accentuated reality with multifactorial implications for the daily lives of populations. In particular, psychosocial adjustment plays a prominent role in the active and healthy aging process. However, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) older adults have psychosocial and health challenges that are extraordinary to those presented by other older adults. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the psychosocial adjustment process of LGB seniors to aging and its impact on mental health and well-being indicators. A study was developed with a mixed and cross-sectional methodological approach, with two independent samples, 648 cisgender seniors - 368 heterosexuals and 280 LGB - participated in the quantitative phase through online questionnaires and 23 gay and bisexual seniors participated in the qualitative phase through individual interviews. As main outputs, one theoretical chapter (chapter 2) and six empirical ones (chapters 3-8) were obtained. The main results highlight: (1) a negative and direct relationship between sexual stigma and mental health indicators of LGB older adults; (2) the existence of double stigma (sexual and age) among Portuguese LGB older adults and its important relationship with worse health status; (3) the double negative impact of loneliness and ageism on the mental health of heterosexual older adults and the prominent mediating role of resilience in this relationship; (4) the existence of negative effects of psychosocial stress factors on the mental health of LGB and heterosexual older adults beyond the effects of psychosocial protective factors; (5) worse levels of stress factors in LGB older adults and, simultaneously, better levels of protective factors in heterosexual older adults; (6) the construction of the sexual identity of Portuguese LGB older adults marked by a particularly violent and stigmatizing psychosocial context; (7) the prominent influence of the psychosocial context and identity construction on the experience of the most damaged romantic relationships in LGB older adults; and (8) the capacity for psychosocial adjustment and achievement of well-being of LGB older adults in situations of extraordinary risk (COVID-19 context). These results highlight the deleterious effects that minority stress can have on the health, well-being, and psychosocial adjustment of LGB older adults, acquiring a cumulative effect of stigmatization throughout the life cycle and with a multifactorial nature – namely historical, social, relational, and personal. These effects are also reflected in low levels of protective factors and high levels of stressors compared to heterosexual seniors. However, they also reveal the exceptional resilience of LGB older adults in the face of lifelong adversity that, despite some psychosocial and health costs, they were able to develop skills in managing stigma and promoting well-being. This study highlights the importance of future psychosocial and community interventions that focus on the common social context as one of the factors promoting security and healthy aging in LGB older adults.
Description
Tese apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos
necessários à obtenção do grau de Doutor em Psicologia
na área de especialização de Psicologia Clínica, apresentada no ISPA – Instituto
Universitário, no ano de 2024.
Keywords
Envelhecimento Ajustamento psicossocial Minorias sexuais Saúde Psicológica Aging Psychosocial adjustment Sexual minorities Psychological health