A qualitative investigation of mental health promotion among aging gay men

Background: Gay men, particularly middle aged and older men (over 40 years of age) experience a disproportionate burden of mental health issues compared to heterosexual men. Despite ample evidence that chronic exposure to structural and interpersonal discrimination negatively affect their mental health, little is known from gay men's perspectives how they understand mental health or their strategies to address their mental health concerns. Aim: This study's aim was to investigate how middle aged and older gay men experience their mental health and the mitigation strategies used to promote mental health. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 men who self-identified as gay. Data were analyzed using an interpretive descriptive approach. Results: Three overarching themes that best illustrate how men perceived their mental health and manage their mental health concerns were identified: gaining perspective, engaging with health services, and promoting and maintaining mental health. Conclusions: This study provides insight into how gay men come to acknowledge the validity of their mental health concerns, engage with health services, and their participation in other activities deemed essential for mental health promotion. These findings are ideally poised to inform development of health resources to promote and protect the mental health of aging gay men.