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. 2019 Mar;60(1):18-35.
doi: 10.1177/0022146518813097. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Psychological Distress Transmission in Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages

Rachel Behler  1 , Rachel Donnelly  1 , Debra Umberson  1
Affiliations

Psychological Distress Transmission in Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages

Rachel Behler et al. J Health Soc Behav. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Ample work stresses the interdependence of spouses' psychological distress and that women are more influenced by their spouse's distress than men. Yet previous studies have focused primarily on heterosexual couples, raising questions about whether and how this gendered pattern might unfold for men and women in same-sex marriages. We analyze 10 days of diary data from a purposive sample of men and women in same-sex and different-sex marriages ( n = 756 individuals from 378 couples) to examine psychological distress transmission between spouses and how this process may differ for men and women in same-sex and different-sex marriages. We find that women are more strongly influenced by their partners' distress than men, regardless of whether they are married to a man or a woman, and that this relationship is particularly strong for women with male spouses.

Keywords: LGBT; bisexual; emotion work; gay; gender; intimacy; lesbian; marriage; mental health; psychological distress; transgender.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Predicted Scores of Respondent Psychological Distress Regressed on Their Spouse’s Psychological Distress
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Adjusted Predicted Effect of Spouse’s Distress on Respondent’s Distress by Group (Same-Day Results) Note. Predicted effects are the predicted coefficients for each group from Table 2, Model 5. Statistical significance denotes overall significance of the association between partner and respondent psychological distress transmission a. Based on a chi-square test of equality, the coefficient for Women with Men is statistically greater than the coefficients for Women with Women (p<.05), Men with Women (p<.001), and Men with Men (p<.001) b. Based on a chi-square test of equality, the coefficient for Women with Women is statistically greater than the coefficients for Men with Women (p<.05)
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Adjusted Predicted Effect of Spouse’s Previou Day Distress on Respondent’s Distress the Next Day by Group Note. Predicted effects are the predicted coefficients for each group from Table 3, Model 5. Statistical significance denotes overall significance of the association between partner and respondent psychological distress transmission a. Based on a chi-square test of equality, the coefficient for Women with Men is statistically greater than the coefficient for Men with Men (p<.05)
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