School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Aging Ment Health. 2013;17(3):358-65. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2012.751583. Epub 2013 Jan 17.
International policy initiatives have highlighted the need to include older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in the provision of appropriate health and social care. However, empirical studies in the area remain sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and needs of LGBT people over the age of 55 years living in Ireland and this article reports on specific mental health issues. Mixed methods were used involving 144 surveys and 36 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The findings revealed that a significant number of the survey respondents had experienced a mental health problem at some point in their lives with interview participants providing further details of their concerns. It is recommended that policy makers address the mental health needs of older LGBT people in future strategic directives and develop standards of care that support the principles of equality, inclusion and respect for diversity.
国际政策倡议强调有必要将老年男女同性恋、双性恋和变性者（LGBT）问题纳入适当的卫生和社会保健服务中。然而，这一领域的实证研究仍然很少。本研究旨在调查居住在爱尔兰的 55 岁以上的 LGBT 人群的经历和需求，本文报告了具体的心理健康问题。本研究采用混合方法，涉及 144 份问卷调查和 36 份半结构化深入访谈。研究结果显示，相当数量的调查对象在其一生中的某个时刻经历过心理健康问题，访谈参与者进一步详细说明了他们的担忧。建议政策制定者在未来的战略指令中解决老年 LGBT 人群的心理健康需求，并制定符合平等、包容和尊重多样性原则的护理标准。
