A descriptive literature review of early research on COVID-19 and close relationships.

This in-depth critical review investigates the impact of COVID-19 on personal relationships from the start of the pandemic in early 2020 to September 2021. Research examining six themes are identified and described in detail: the impact of COVID-19 on (1) family and intimate relationships; (2) LGBTQ+ relationships; (3) how COVID-19 is linked to technologically mediated communication and personal relationships; (4) potential shifts in sexual behaviors and desire; (5) potential shifts in relational conflict and intimate partner violence; and (6) constructive aspects of personal relationships, which is a broad theme that includes outcomes such as resilience, relational quality, coping, and social support. Findings for overarching patterns are offered to highlight implications for current research and identify future directions to consider when continuing to study personal relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic and similar future crises.

The Impact of Minority Stress and Social Support on Positive Relationship Functioning in Same-Sex Relationships.

The Institute of Medicine has called for an increase in efforts to investigate the understudied area of LGBTQ health and relationships. This study furthers the research by illuminating social support predictors of positive relationship functioning and resilience from a large national sample of those in same-sex relationships (N = 1,303) who continue to face minority stigma and stress in society. Primary findings underscore the centrality of partner social support and the importance of combating depression in sustaining positive relationship outcomes (commitment, satisfaction, closeness, and couple resilience) in same-sex romantic relationships. Findings also may point to increasing social legitimacy of same-sex couples and less reliance on LGBTQ-specific social supportive environments. Future research is needed to further explore the personal and relational health of same-sex couples.

German and Italian validation of the Dyadic Coping Inventory-Sexual Minority Stress (DCI-SMS) scale.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals (hereafter people with minoritized sexual orientation and/or gender identities) have limited legal rights and access to resources because of their marginalized status in society. These limitations are associated with notable health disparities and increase experiences of minority stress. For those in a romantic relationship, being able to communicate and cope with one's partner-dyadic coping-can help buffer stress' deleterious effects on well-being. Given the promise of understanding how dyadic coping can mitigate experiences of sexual minority stress, the Dyadic Coping Inventory-Sexual Minority Stress (DCI-SMS) was recently created and validated with those living in the United States to assess how partners cope with sexual minority stress. Answering a global call to expand psychological science beyond a U.S. centric perspective, the purpose of this study was to validate the DCI-SMS in German and Italian using samples from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis results, along with tests of convergent and discriminant validity, and measurement invariance, suggest that the DCI-SMS is a valid measure of stress communication and dyadic coping behaviors for those in a same-gender relationship in the countries sampled. Important future directions include examining its efficacy in other countries, such as those with more adverse sociopolitical climates for people with minoritized sexual orientation and/or gender identities in a same-gender relationship. Limitations and future directions for research and clinical practice are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Intimate Pride: a Tri-Nation Study on Associations between Positive Minority Identity Aspects and Relationship Quality in Sexual Minorities from German-Speaking Countries.

Investigations into the intimate relationships of sexual minorities are proliferating, but often adopt a deficit-oriented and US-centered perspective. In this tri-nation online study with sexual minority participants from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (N = 571), we (i) assessed the construct validity of the German version of a well-known measure for positive minority identity aspects (the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Positive Identity Measure; LGB-PIM), and (ii) explored associations between these aspects (self-awareness, authenticity, community, capacity for intimacy, and social justice) and self-reported relationship quality. Model fit of the German version of the LGB-PIM was deemed acceptable. Higher levels of positive minority identity aspects showed small to moderate associations with higher levels of relationship quality in bivariate analyses, but only capacity for intimacy was linked to relationship quality in higher-order models (controlling for country, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship length, and psychological distress). Results remained robust in several sensitivity analyses. Our results highlight the differential role of positive identity aspects for relationship functioning, with capacity for intimacy as a fruitful leverage point for therapeutic work.

Perceived psychosocial impacts of legalized same-sex marriage: A scoping review of sexual minority adults' experiences.

A growing body of literature provides important insights into the meaning and impact of the right to marry a same-sex partner among sexual minority people. We conducted a scoping review to 1) identify and describe the psychosocial impacts of equal marriage rights among sexual minority adults, and 2) explore sexual minority women (SMW) perceptions of equal marriage rights and whether psychosocial impacts differ by sex. Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework we reviewed peer-reviewed English-language publications from 2000 through 2019. We searched six databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Sociological Abstracts) to identify English language, peer-reviewed journal articles reporting findings from empirical studies with an explicit focus on the experiences and perceived impact of equal marriage rights among sexual minority adults. We found 59 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Studies identified positive psychosocial impacts of same-sex marriage (e.g., increased social acceptance, reduced stigma) across individual, interpersonal (dyad, family), community (sexual minority), and broader societal levels. Studies also found that, despite equal marriage rights, sexual minority stigma persists across these levels. Only a few studies examined differences by sex, and findings were mixed. Research to date has several limitations; for example, it disproportionately represents samples from the U.S. and White populations, and rarely examines differences by sexual or gender identity or other demographic characteristics. There is a need for additional research on the impact of equal marriage rights and same-sex marriage on the health and well-being of diverse sexual minorities across the globe.

Examining the content and outcomes of young adults' satisfying and unsatisfying conversations about sex.

In this study, we examined young adults' conversational descriptions of satisfying and unsatisfying sexual conversations with a romantic partner and the relational and sexual outcomes. We coded participants' responses for content, when and where conversations occurred, and the results of conversations. Most often, conversations occurred in residences at the beginning of relationships and addressed sexual pleasure, relationship issues, sexual health, past sexual experience, attitudes/values, and sexual decision making. The results of conversations included relational consequences such as distrust, anger, understanding, and being afraid to talk to a partner, as well as sexual outcomes such as better sex, condom use, and better sex talk. The findings suggest that the costs and rewards of young adults' sexual disclosure have implications for the effectiveness of sexual communication.

Forgive and Forget?: Examining the Influence of Blame and Intentionality on Forgiveness Following Hypothetical Same-Sex Infidelity in the Context of Heterosexual Romantic Relationships.

The present study investigated responses to imagined same-sex infidelity committed by a partner in a heterosexual relationship. The motivational theory of infidelity and research on communicative infidelity were used as guiding frameworks for exploring differences in perceptions of blame and intentionality as a result of varying motivations for engaging in same-sex infidelity (i.e., cheating due to attraction, experimentation, sexual preoccupation, sexual depression, sociosexuality, jealousy, vengefulness, or not viewing the infidelity as cheating). It was predicted that greater perceptions of blame and intent would be associated with more negative transgression-related interpersonal motivations (i.e., more revenge and avoidance; less benevolence) and an increased expectation of terminating the relationship due to the partner's same-sex infidelity. Whether these relationships would replicate or differ according to the partner's motive for committing the hypothetical same-sex infidelity was also tested. Results revealed that, in general and across motives, attributions of blame were positively associated with revenge, avoidance, and relationship termination; perceived intentionality was positively associated with avoidance; and blame was negatively associated with benevolence. Furthermore, across most motives, blame was indirectly associated with relationship termination through avoidance and benevolence, and these associations were not moderated by biological sex. These findings and their implications for research on infidelity specifically, and relational functioning more broadly, are discussed.

Committed, Unmarried Same-Sex Couples and their Social Networks in the United States: Relationships and Discursive Strategies.

This study examines two aspects of the experiences that committed, unmarried same-sex couples have with social network members (friends and family members). The study examines how remaining unmarried affected the couples' relationships with social network members and the discursive strategies couples use when discussing their relationship with social network members. Twenty-seven committed, unmarried U.S. same-sex couples were interviewed. Couples described two challenges in their relationships with social network members as a result of not marrying: others perceived their commitment level as lessened because they did not marry, and others supported their relationship less because they did not marry. Couples used four discursive strategies to establish and maintain their family identity when interacting with social network members. Couples' relational experiences and discursive strategies were consistent with previous descriptions of discourse-dependent families.

The influence of same-sex marriage on the understanding of same-sex relationships.

This study examines the ways in which legally recognized same-sex marriage affects the understanding of same-sex romantic relationships for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) individuals. Participants (N = 288) responded to an open-ended Web-based survey asking them to describe how legally recognized same-sex marriage influenced their view of their own romantic relationship or romantic relationships in general. Results indicate that legally recognized same-sex marriage impacted participants' understanding of romantic relationships by making existing relationships seem more real and by serving as a tool through which participants realized their desires for ideal potential partner and relationship characteristics. The results suggest that legally recognized same-sex marriage is seen as both beneficial and challenging for samesex couples.

Assessing attitude toward same-sex marriage: scale development and validation.

This paper reports the results of three studies conducted to develop, refine, and validate a scale which assessed heterosexual adults' attitudes toward same-sex marriage, the Attitude Toward Same-Sex Marriage Scale (ASSMS). The need for such a scale is evidenced in the increasing importance of same-sex marriage in the political arena of the United States and other nations, as well as the growing body of empirical research examining same-sex marriage and related issues (e.g., Lannutti, 2005; Solomon, Rothblum, & Balsam, 2004). The results demonstrate strong reliability, convergent validity, and predictive validity for the ASSMS and suggest that the ASSMS may be adapted to measure attitudes toward civil unions and other forms of relational recognition for same-sex couples. Gender comparisons using the validated scale showed that in college and non-college samples, women had a significantly more positive attitude toward same-sex marriage than did men.