Loneliness Perceptions in Older Portuguese Gay and Bisexual Men

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of loneliness among gay and bisexual men in Portugal over 60 years old. Despite the growth of the older population in Portugal, the social isolation and loneliness experiences in older gay and bisexual men is only beginning to be understood. A structured electronic inquiry with 35 gay and bisexual men over 60 years of age from Portugal (mean age was 66.45 years (SD = 4.45) was used, ranging from 60 to 77 years). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, comparing self-perceived loneliness levels by sexual orientation and by levels of loneliness. The recurrent themes in the narratives of loneliness perception of the participants in the study were as follows: Mental Health, Support System, Dating and Relationships, Discrimination, Coping, Personal Characteristics, and Coming-out issues. Differences between sexual orientation and levels of loneliness were also found.

KEYWORDS:

• Loneliness
• older people
• aging
• perceptions
• gay men
• bisexual men
• Portugal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.