Romantic relationship involvement as a minority stress buffer in gay/lesbian versus bisexual individuals

Feinstein, Brian A.; Latack, Jessica A.; Bhatia, Vickie; Eaton, Nicholas R.

doi:10.1080/19359705.2016.1147401

Cited by 50 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…Most strikingly, whereas being in a romantic relationship predicted lower psychological distress for gay and lesbian youth, it predicted higher psychological distress for bisexuals. Together with evidence that bisexual adults in relationships are at greater risk of having an anxiety disorder than are single bisexuals (Feinstein et al, 2016), this finding suggests that romantic involvement may be a risk factor for psychological dysfunction among bisexual individuals. It is possible that bisexuals encounter unique stressors when engaged in a romantic relationship that are not experienced by sexual minorities attracted to only one gender (i.e., lesbian and gay youth).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Bisexuals often report experiencing binegativity when involved in committed relationships, including invalidation of their sexual identity by individuals who assume they are lesbian/gay or heterosexual based on their current partner’s gender (Dyar, Feinstein, & London, 2014) and pressure from their non-bisexual partners to change their sexual identity to match the gender pairing of the given relationship (Bostwick & Hequembourg, 2014). The only study to date of sexual orientation as a moderator of the association between relationship involvement and mental health (Feinstein et al, 2016) found that, for bisexuals only, romantic involvement increased risk for anxiety disorders but also buffered the negative effects of discrimination on anxiety and depressive disorders. These apparently conflicting findings highlight the necessity of further investigation.…”

Section: Potential Moderators Of Relationship Involvement Effects On mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Romantic involvement: A protective factor for psychological health in racially-diverse young sexual minorities.

Whitton¹,

Dyar²,

Newcomb³

et al. 2018

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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Sexual minority youth experience elevated rates of internalizing disorders; it is, therefore, important to identify protective factors that decrease risk for psychological distress in this population. In this study, we examined whether involvement in a romantic relationship, a well-established protective factor for mental health among heterosexual adults, is also protective for young sexual minorities. Using eight waves of data provided by a community sample of 248 racially diverse sexual minority youth (ages 16-20 years at baseline), we assessed within-person associations between relationship involvement and psychological distress. Results from multilevel structural equation models indicated that, overall, participants reported less psychological distress at waves when they were in a relationship than when they were not. However, findings differed as a function of race/ethnicity and sexual orientation. Specifically, although relationship involvement predicted lower psychological distress for Black and gay/lesbian participants, the association was not present for White participants and, for bisexuals, relationship involvement predicted higher distress. In addition, relationship involvement reduced the negative association between victimization based on sexual minority status and psychological distress, suggesting a stress-buffering effect that did not differ based on demographic factors. Together, these findings suggest that being in a romantic relationship may promote mental health for many, but not all, young sexual minorities, highlighting the importance of attending to differences among subgroups of sexual minorities in research, theory, and efforts to reduce mental health disparities. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Potential Moderators Of Relationship Involvement Effects On mentioning

confidence: 99%

Romantic involvement: A protective factor for psychological health in racially-diverse young sexual minorities.

Whitton¹,

Dyar²,

Newcomb³

et al. 2018

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Specific sexual identities may also influence how romantic involvement affects substance use. Although dating is associated with better psychological health among gay and lesbian individuals, among bisexuals it is associated with greater risk for anxiety disorders (Feinstein et al, 2016) and more psychological distress (Whitton et al, 2018). These differences may be attributable to unique stressors bisexuals face when involved in romantic relationships, including invalidation of their bisexual identity by others who assume they are lesbian/gay or heterosexual based on their current partner’s gender (Dyar et al, 2014) and pressure from non-bisexual partners to change their sexual identity (Bostwick and Hequembourg, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of romantic involvement on substance use among young sexual and gender minorities

Whitton

Dyar

Newcomb

et al. 2018

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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Study findings indicate some protective effects of relationship involvement against substance use among SGM youth, particularly with respect to alcohol and illicit drugs other than marijuana. However, dating may promote smoking in all SGM youth and drug use in bisexual youth. The demographic differences observed in the effects of romantic involvement highlight the importance of attending to differences among SGM youth in research, theory, and substance use reduction efforts.

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“…For example, bisexual women, even those in different-sex relationships, experience stigma, discrimination, and invisibility (e.g., they may be more hesitant to disclose their sexual identity and others may presume that they are heterosexual), as well as exclusion and rejection from members of lesbian/gay communities (Dyar, Feinstein, & London, 2014, 2015; Feinstein, Latack, Bhatia, Davila, & Eaton, 2016; Herek, 2002; Molina et al, 2015). Recent research on mental health and relationship status among bisexual men and women demonstrated higher rates of anxiety among bisexual women in relationships compared to single bisexual women (Feinstein et al, 2016). The authors suggested that being in an intimate relationship, irrespective of the sex/gender of the partner, may lead to feelings of erasure of the bisexual identity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship status and drinking-related outcomes in a community sample of lesbian and bisexual women

Veldhuis

Hughes

Drabble

et al. 2017

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Although marriage tends to be protective against hazardous drinking among women in the general population, few studies have compared drinking rates, levels, or problems based on relationship status among sexual minority women (SMW; lesbian, bisexual). We examined associations between relationship status (committed relationship/cohabiting; committed/not cohabiting; single) and past-year drinking outcomes using data from a diverse sample of 696 SMW interviewed in wave 3 of the 17-year longitudinal Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study. The mean age of SMW in the sample was 40.01 (SD = 14.15; range 18–82). A little more than one-third (37%) of the sample was white, 36% was African American, and 23% Latina; 4% reported another or multi- race/ethnicity. Compared to SMW in committed cohabiting relationships, single SMW were significantly more likely to be heavy drinkers. SMW in committed non-cohabiting relationships were more likely to report alcohol-related problem consequences, and both single SMW and those in committed non-cohabiting relationships were more likely to report one or more symptoms of potential alcohol dependence. Findings underscore the importance of exploring relationship factors that may influence drinking and drinking-related problems among SMW.

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Romantic relationship involvement as a minority stress buffer in gay/lesbian versus bisexual individuals

Cited by 50 publications

References 81 publications

Romantic involvement: A protective factor for psychological health in racially-diverse young sexual minorities.

Romantic involvement: A protective factor for psychological health in racially-diverse young sexual minorities.

Effects of romantic involvement on substance use among young sexual and gender minorities

Relationship status and drinking-related outcomes in a community sample of lesbian and bisexual women

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