Abstract
This study explored the associations of couplehood (being in a romantic relationship) and parenthood (being a parent) with the hedonic and eudaimonic well-being of aging gay men in Israel. For that purpose, a sample of 121 older gay men (aged 60–84, M = 66.86, SD = 7.02) was recruited through a targeted sampling. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Results indicated that older gay men in a romantic relationship, compared to older gay men who were not in a romantic relationship, reported greater hedonic well-being (higher life satisfaction alongside lower negative affect and depressive symptoms) and eudaimonic well-being (higher purpose in life). Additionally, older gay men who were fathers, compared to older gay men who were not fathers, reported greater hedonic well-being (higher positive affect and life satisfaction alongside lower negative affect and depressive symptoms) and eudaimonic well-being (higher purpose in life and personal growth). The study contributes to the scant literature on the factors associated with well-being among older gay men. It also provides researchers, practitioners and policy makers with vital information on the potential contribution of couplehood and parenthood to the well-being of a sexual minority whose access to marriage and parenthood was, and still is, limited.
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This study was funded by The Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research and by the Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA).
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the present work. Ethics approval was obtained before the sampling procedure was conducted. All participants gave their informed consent for participating in the present study.
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Geva Shenkman and Kfir Ifrah. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Geva Shenkman and Kfir Ifrah and all authors revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Shenkman, G., Ifrah, K. & Shmotkin, D. The Association of Couplehood and Parenthood with the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being of Older Gay Men. J Happiness Stud 24, 1419–1437 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00645-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00645-3