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. 2023 Jul:237:103949.
doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103949. Epub 2023 May 31.

Do supportive work environments matter for minority aging? Work stress and subjective cognitive impairment among middle-age and older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults

Harry Barbee  1 , Tara McKay  2
Affiliations

Do supportive work environments matter for minority aging? Work stress and subjective cognitive impairment among middle-age and older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults

Harry Barbee et al. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Research has documented how people's experiences at work affect their cognitive health outcomes, but how these processes unfold for minority groups, particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations, is unclear. This study builds on the nascent literature by employing generalized structural equation models to test how experiencing major problems at work and working with LGBTQ+ supportive coworkers affect subjective cognitive impairment among middle-age and older LGBTQ+ adults. We also test for mediated and indirect effects of support and problems at work operating via vascular disease, sleep problems, and depression symptoms. Experiencing major problems at work is associated with a higher likelihood of reporting cognitive symptoms consistent with mild cognitive impairment, but this relationship is mediated by depression symptoms and sleep problems. Having LGBTQ+ supportive coworkers does not have direct effects on mild cognitive impairment, but does operate indirectly by decreasing problems at work and, in turn, decreases the likelihood of reporting cognitive symptoms consistent with mild cognitive impairment. Overall, we find that workplace stressors contribute to cognitive health directly and through mediated and indirect pathways and that supportive contexts reduce exposure to problems at work. We conclude with suggested possibilities to reorganize workplaces to improve long-term cognitive health outcomes for older adults, especially those who are LGBTQ+-identified.

Keywords: Cognitive health; LGBTQ+; Midlife; Supportive coworkers; Work stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest Funding provided by NIA5R01AG063771-03 and 3R01AG063771-03S1.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Conceptual model.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
SEM pathway results.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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