Dyadic Moderators of the Minority Stress-HIV Risk Association in Male Couples.

Minority stressors have been linked to HIV risk behaviors among gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Committed partnerships are a key context for new HIV infections and coping with minority stress among MSM, but very little work has tested the minority stress-HIV risk link among male couples, and little is known about how processes within one's relationship may exacerbate or buffer this association. The present study examined links between minority stress (i.e., internalized stigma, microaggressions) and HIV transmission risk behaviors (i.e., condomless anal sex with outside partners, breaks in relationship agreements) among male couples, as well as relationship-based moderators (i.e., social support, dyadic coping) of these associations. An analytic sample of male couples from a large cohort study (analytic N = 410 individuals, 205 dyads) completed self-report measures of minority stress, relationship-based moderators, and HIV transmission risk behaviors which were submitted to moderated actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs). In many cases, coping with stress with one's partner buffered the minority stress-HIV transmission link risk. However, findings also suggested situations in which partners may overburden one another with coping, thus exacerbating HIV-related risk behaviors.

Substance Use and Relationship Functioning Among Young Male Couples.

Research shows that, for different sex couples, individual levels of substance use are deleterious for relationship quality (e.g., satisfaction, intimate partner aggression), whereas dyadic concordance is usually protective. However, there has been no research on these effects among male couples, even though they show increased risk for substance use and certain indices of relationship distress (e.g., intimate partner aggression) compared to different sex couples. Male partners also display distinct similarity patterns and norms surrounding substance use, suggesting that there might be unique effects of substance use on relationship quality among this population. We conducted actor-partner interdependence models of substance use on relationship quality (intimate partner aggression, satisfaction) among a large sample of male dyads (N = 934 individuals, N = 467 dyads). Results suggested that there are novel actor, partner, and similarity effects that imply unique pathways to relationship well-being for male couples. These results are discussed in light of future clinical and empirical efforts. [NCT03186534 - 6/12/2017; NCT03284541 - 6/23/2017].

Risky Sexual Behaviors as a Transaction of Individual Differences and Situational Context.

Risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) incur large societal and personal costs. Despite widespread prevention efforts, RSBs and associated consequences (e.g., sexually transmitted infections) continue to rise. A proliferation of research has emerged on situational (e.g., alcohol use) and individual difference (e.g., impulsivity) factors to explain this rise, but these approaches assume an unrealistically static mechanism underlying RSB. Because this prior research has resulted in few compelling effects, we sought to innovate by examining the interaction of situation and individual differences in explaining RSBs. A large sample (N = 105) completed baseline reports of psychopathology and 30 daily diary reports of RSBs and associated contexts. These data were submitted to multilevel models including cross-level interactions to test a person-by-situation conceptualization of RSBs. Results suggested that RSBs are most strongly predicted from interactions of person- and situation-level factors in both protective and facilitative directions. These interactions outnumbered main effects and commonly included partner commitment as a central mechanism. These results point to theoretical and clinical gaps in preventing RSB and urge a departure from prior ways of conceptualizing sexual risk as a static outcome.

Partner Gender and Binegativity Uniquely Impact Relationship Quality among Bisexual Men.

Romantic relationships both buffer and exacerbate adverse health outcomes among bisexual individuals, so understanding determinants of their functioning may be key to correcting health inequities affecting this population. Binegativity (i.e., prejudiced attitudes about bisexuality) expressed from one's intimate partner has the potential to be uniquely impactful for bisexuals, but it is presently unknown how this experience might impact the quality (and therefore potential health promotive effects) of their romantic relationships. In addition, gender of one's current romantic partner may shape experiences of binegativity and relationship quality in important ways. The purpose of this report was to examine how binegativity from intimate partners impacts relationship functioning (i.e., relationship satisfaction and intimate partner aggression) among bisexual men (N = 113), and how the gender of one's partner might moderate this effect. Results suggested that binegativity is detrimentally associated with relationship satisfaction, and that bisexual men in relationships with women report more frequent intimate partner aggression. Furthermore, partner gender and binegativity showed novel interactive associations with intimate partner aggression, such that bisexual men in relationships with women tended to perpetrate less intimate partner aggression when experiencing more binegativity. These results are discussed with regard to future avenues for research into the health promotive benefits of relationships for bisexual individuals.

Insecure attachment and personality pathology: Concurrent assessment and longitudinal modeling.

Insecure attachment and personality pathology are parallel frameworks for representing interpersonal dysfunction. Although research to date has revealed strong bivariate associations between these constructs, the current state of the science is nonspecific and leaves piecemeal guidance for clinical and empirical efforts. The goal of the present study was to determine the magnitude of the associations between attachment and personality pathology across two conceptualizations of maladaptivity and across three waves of time, thereby satisfying repeated calls for empirical innovation in this area. A sample of newlywed heterosexual couples (N = 202 individuals) completed longitudinal assessments of personality pathology and romantic attachment insecurity. Results suggested that the covariation of attachment and personality pathology may be marred by measurement problems related to distress saturation in attachment and personality disorder instruments. Latent curve modeling further suggested that attachment insecurity and personality disorders fluctuate concurrently within persons. Future research should work toward validating unity models of attachment and personality pathology, correcting key measures, and documenting specific mechanisms of association between these constructs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).