Objective: A scoping review was conducted to document the literature of the impacts of being in a romantic partnership and better physical health and psychological wellbeing for individuals who are in an interracial romantic relationship. Background: In the 50 years since Loving v. Virginia (1967) overturned the ban on interracial romantic relationships, the rates of interracial marriages have quintupled. Although being in a romantic relationship has been associated with better physical health and psychological well-being outcomes, the population of individuals in interracial romantic relationships has been overlooked. Method: Informed by Arksey and O' Malley (2005), the study's objectives, inclusion criteria, and methods of analysis for this review were specified in advance and documented. Fourteen studies met the scoping review's inclusion criteria. Results: The articles were similar in five key areas: use of theory, methods, physical health outcomes, psychological well-being outcomes, and intimate partner violence. The findings across the studies suggest that individuals in interracial romantic relationships experience poorer physical health and psychological well-being compared with individuals who partner within their own race. Conclusion:The theorized benefits of being in a romantic relationship do not seem to apply equally across individuals, particularly among those in interracial romantic relationships.
As the number of interracial couples in the U.S. continues to grow, it is important to examine stressors that may lead to decreased well-being and self-rated health due to stigma. Using AddHealth, we conducted ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to test if individuals in Black/White interracial couples experience (1) higher stress and discriminatory experiences, (2) worse depression and self-rated health, and (3) if depression and self-rated health vary as a function of perceived stress and experiences of discrimination. Biological sex differences were assessed as well. Compared to White couples, interracial couples were, on average, more likely to experience discrimination, and higher perceived stress, more depressive symptoms, and worse overall self-rated health. Our findings suggest a potential mechanism underlying these associations might be through increased stress and discrimination. Future research should further assess additional stressors to understand if interracial couples experience worse health outcomes due to being in a stigmatized relationship.
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