Marital Strain and Psychological Distress in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples

• In Event: 2224 - Emerging Issues in Mental Health

Abstract

This study used 10 days of diary data from both spouses in same-sex and different-sex marriages (N= 378 couples; 756 individuals) to examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between own and spouse appraisals of marital strain and own psychological distress and considered whether the associations differed for men and women in same- and different-sex marriages. Own and spouse appraisals of marital strain were associated with increased own psychological distress, with notable gender differences. Own marital strain was associated with increased psychological distress on the next day for individuals whose spouses were men whereas spouse marital strain continued to increase psychological distress on the next day for women married to men. The results highlight the importance of considering both spouses’ marital appraisals when examining the link between marital dynamics and well-being as well as including same-sex couples when assessing gender differences in these processes.

Author

• Michael Alexis Garcia, University of Texas-Austin