Depression in Same-Gender Couples

• In Event: 104 - Section on Sociology of Mental Health Paper Session. New Dimensions of Difference: Underexplored Variation in Mental Health

Abstract

Past research has focused on how spouses in heterosexual marriages interact around the depression of one spouse. These studies demonstrate that the depression dynamics are highly gendered wherein the wives of depressed men are more likely than the husbands of depressed women to offer support to their depressed husbands, while depressed women work to protect their husband from the stress of depression. Yet, previous research has failed to examine depression in gay and lesbian couples—a context of two men and two women distinct from a heterosexual context of a man and a woman. Though it is generally known that gay and lesbian adults have worse mental health than heterosexual adults, we do not know much about the dynamic processes through which depression impacts the partnerships of gay and lesbian adults. We analyze in-depth interviews with 26 gay and lesbian couples in which one or both partners experience depression. We find aspects of similarity regarding how gay and lesbian couples deal with depression, wherein most partners try to help depressed partners. We also identify important differences between gay and lesbian couples; for example, only lesbian respondents specifically discuss a link between how they dealt with depression and how it impacted their relationship. Our study points to the importance of considering mental health dynamics within gay and lesbian contexts, viewing gay and lesbian intimate partnerships as a resource and a possible source of stress. Our study further emphasizes the benefit of applying couple-level approaches to better understand depression among sexual minorities.

Author

• Mieke Beth Thomeer, University of Alabama-Birmingham