Never Too Old to Feel Good: Happiness and Health among a National Sample of Older Black Gay Men

The Institute of Medicine has deemed it a priority to address the physical and mental health needs of the older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. While LGBT adolescents and young adults are usually the focus of health care discourse, older LGBT people are detrimentally ignored. The current research examines the relationship between the self-reported happiness and health of older (aged 50 years and above) Black gay men and variables such as demographics, civic engagement levels, and religious strength. A sample of older Black gay men (n = 190) was taken from the 2010 Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) Project data-set and multiple regression analyses were used to explore the individual effects of a series of independent variables on self-reported happiness and health. Findings reveal that having a regular physician is very important for older Black gay men in maintaining their happiness or overall mental health. A recommendation to address this issue is for civic and community groups to establish a registry of doctors that LGBT people could consider for their primary care.