Within-person associations between romantic involvement and mental health among sexual and gender minorities assigned female-at-birth.

Whitton, Sarah W.; Dyar, Christina; Godfrey, Lisa; Newcomb, Michael E.

doi:10.1037/fam0000835

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Our results are largely in line with the more narrowly focused existing studies of mean differences in personality, social relationships, and health (Anderssen et al, 2020;Batz & Tay, 2018;Bogaert et al, 2018;Cusack et al, 2012;Ehlke et al, 2020;Eres et al, 2021;Ferlatte et al, 2020;Hendricks & Testa, 2012;Hyde & Mezulis, 2020;[anonymized], 2022;Meyer, 2003;Plöderl & Tremblay, 2015;Valentine & Shipherd, 2018;Whitton et al, 2021). Few studies dissect the variance, the distribution, and overlap or the differences in correlation outside the context of narrowly defined moderation models.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Not Like Everybody Else But We're the Same: Psychosocial Variables across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities

Junkins,

Ogolsky,

Derringer

2023

Preprint

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Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are underrepresented in psychological research—including personality and relationship sciences. Part of this underrepresentation likely stems from potential participants’ unwillingness to join a study, but more concerningly, researchers explicitly exclude data from SGM participants. Arguments for SGM exclusion often rest upon the difficulty of recruitment, as well as differences in outcomes, such as depression, and experiences, such as discrimination ([anonymized, 2023]). However, mean-level differences in dependent or independent variables do not necessarily bias estimating population effect sizes. What is often implied, but less explored, is the extent to which correlational differences may exist between groups. Applying the framework of the Gender Similarities Hypothesis (Hyde, 2005), we compare means, variances, and correlations across a range of psychosocial variables between SGM and non-SGM participants (N = 1,743). Consistent with an expansive application of the Gender Similarities Hypothesis, we find that means, variance, and correlations are largely similar across categorical identities related to both gender and sexual orientation. These results support a general expectation that similarities between groups are more common than differences in normative psychological processes, although clear differences in means and variances exist for specific experiences and outcomes. The implication of this work informs the inclusion of diverse sexual and gender identities in basic psychological research. Further, the findings speak to the generalizability of past research to populations historically underrepresented in psychological science.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Not Like Everybody Else But We're the Same: Psychosocial Variables across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities

Junkins,

Ogolsky,

Derringer

2023

Preprint

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“…It is likely that a number of developmental factors unique to sexual minority youth contribute to their perception that they had fewer relationship skills, compared with their heterosexual peers, such as having fewer examples of sexual minority romantic relationships in the media and fewer available dating partners (Bond, 2014;Diamond, 2003a;Gowen & Winges-Yanez, 2014). While romantic relationship involvement appears protective for sexual minority youths' mental health (Whitton et al, 2018;Whitton et al, 2021), a robust literature has shown that relationship quality also contributes to health benefits (Robles et al, 2014;Slatcher & Selcuk, 2017). Further, research has also demonstrated that sexual minority youth are at particularly high risk of experiencing dating violence as adolescents (Freedner et al, 2002;Whitton et al, 2019aWhitton et al, , 2019b and intimate partner violence as adults (Edwards et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences by sexual orientation in romantic relationship attitudes and skills among adolescents

Perry

Huntington

Rhoades

2022

J of Marriage and Family

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Objective This study examined differences by sexual orientation in romantic relationship and marriage attitudes, and relationship skills, among a large, diverse sample of high school youth. Background The romantic relationships of sexual minority youth have been understudied, particularly factors related to their relationship quality, such as attitudes and skills. Sweeping changes in social and legal equality (e.g., same‐sex marriage) have promoted a paradigm shift in relationship possibilities for sexual minority youth. Methods Data were drawn from the baseline survey of a study of school‐based relationship education for adolescents. Adolescents (N = 979) completed a self‐report survey of their demographics, attitudes regarding romantic relationships and marriage, and their romantic relationship skills. Regression models examined differences by sexual orientation identity in relationship outcomes, controlling for relevant demographics. Results Sixteen percent of youth identified as sexual minority. Sexual minority youth, relative to heterosexual youth, did not differ in their attitudes regarding qualities of healthy romantic relationships. However, sexual minority youth endorsed less traditional views of marriage and held less traditional expectations of marriage for themselves. They also perceived themselves to have fewer romantic relationship skills than heterosexual youth. Conclusions Today's sexual minority youth hold less traditional views of marriage as a future for themselves, although legalized same‐sex marriage is now available. They perceived themselves as less skilled in romantic relationships, which are critical in adolescence for social and emotional development. Scientific efforts are needed to understand contributors to these differences and inform evidence‐based practices to support strong, healthy romantic bonds for all teens.

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“…This null finding may have been due to limited variability and positive skew in the AUDIT scores in this sample; perhaps the large minority of nondrinkers, including many under the age of 21, limited our ability to detect associations with relationship quality. In addition, all participants in this sample were currently involved in a romantic relationship, which is associated with less problematic drinking in SGM-AFAB (Whitton et al, 2020(Whitton et al, , 2021, potentially further limiting variability and power to detect effects. Alternately, it is possible that high relationship quality does not reduce drinking during times of high stress, in the way that it reduces use of other substances (Leonard & Homish, 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

Relationship quality, COVID stress, and mental health in sexual and gender minority young adults

Bothwell,

Lawlace,

Newcomb

et al. 2023

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, particularly those assigned female at birth (AFAB), have shown poor mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue highlights the importance of identifying factors that may promote SGM-AFAB mental health during the pandemic and protect SGM-AFAB individuals against the negative psychological effects of COVID-related stress. Grounded in previous research and theory suggesting that high quality romantic relationships have promotive (i.e., main) and protective (i.e., stress-buffering) effects on partner’s mental health, we explored associations between relationship quality, COVID-related stress, and mental health among SGM-AFAB individuals. Specifically, we tested whether (1) higher relationship quality, as a promotive factor, was directly associated with fewer mental health problems (depressive and anxiety symptoms, problematic alcohol and cannabis use), and (2) relationship quality, as a protective factor, had a stress-buffering effect, reducing the negative effect of COVID stress on mental health within SGM-AFAB young people. Between May 2020-July 2021, 227 SGM-AFAB individuals (ages 19–35; M = 23.5) in current romantic relationships completed measures of pandemic-related stress, relationship quality, depressive and anxious symptoms, and problematic alcohol and cannabis use. As hypothesized, relationship quality was negatively associated with anxious and depressive symptoms and problematic cannabis use. Relationship quality attenuated the positive association between COVID stress and depression, but not the other mental health outcomes. Findings suggest that high-quality romantic relationships may promote mental health and have a stress-buffering effect for depressive symptoms among SGM-AFAB individuals during major society-wide stressors.

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Within-person associations between romantic involvement and mental health among sexual and gender minorities assigned female-at-birth.

Cited by 8 publications

References 69 publications

Not Like Everybody Else But We're the Same: Psychosocial Variables across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities

Not Like Everybody Else But We're the Same: Psychosocial Variables across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities

Differences by sexual orientation in romantic relationship attitudes and skills among adolescents

Relationship quality, COVID stress, and mental health in sexual and gender minority young adults

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