Symposium 131 - The Implications of Minority Stress on Romantic Relationships Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals

Sunday, November 19, 2023

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PST

Location: Clallum (701), Level 7

CE: 1

Keywords: Couples / Close Relationships, LGBTQ+, Intimate Partner Aggression
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Haas, S. M., & Lannutti, P. J. (2021). The impact of minority stress and social support on positive relationship functioning in same-sex relationships. Health Communication, 36(3), 315-323., Sarno, E. L., Newcomb, M. E., & Whitton, S. W. (2023). Minority stress and intimate partner violence among sexual and gender minorities assigned female at birth. Psychology of Violence., Scheer, J. R., Martin-Storey, A., & Baams, L. (2020). Help-seeking barriers among sexual and gender minority individuals who experience intimate partner violence victimization. Intimate partner violence and the LGBT+ community: Understanding power dynamics, 139-158., Meyer, I. H. (2015). Resilience in the study of minority stress and health of sexual and gender minorities. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2(3), 209.,

Chair(s)

Melissa Gates, M.S. (she/her/hers)

Doctoral Student
Binghamton University
SUNY Binghamton
Vestal, New York
Shelby Scott, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Psychology
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas

Discussant(s)

MN

Michael Newcomb, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Associate Professor
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois

Presenter(s)

Melissa Gates, M.S. (she/her/hers)

Doctoral Student
Binghamton University
SUNY Binghamton
Vestal, New York
Shelby Scott, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Psychology
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
MS

Madison Smith, M.S., Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Scholar
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
Alexandra Long, M.A. (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
Timothy Sullivan, M.A. (he/him/his)

Graduate Student
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Minority stress theory is one framework for understanding the proximal (e.g., internalized stigma) and distal stressors (e.g., experiences of prejudice, discrimination, and stigma) sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face, in part because of their marginalized identities and relationships (Meyer, 2003). These stressors are socially constructed and exacerbated by social institutions and processes, inevitably reinforcing the marginalized group’s stigmatized societal status and chronic invalidation. To date, most research on minority stress has focused on its adverse implications for individual functioning (e.g., depression, suicidality; Pellicane & Ciesla, 2022), and more recent research has established associations between minority stress and relational functioning more broadly (Feinstein et al., 2018; Guschlbauer et al., 2019). Given these advances, it is important to decipher more nuanced associations between specific forms of minority stress (distal vs. proximal) and relationship outcomes (e.g., individual, cross-partner, and relational) among SGMs. We assert that it is particularly important to understand these phenomena across multiple types of SGM relationships— for instance, female and male same-gender couples, couples with bisexual partners, and transgender and nonbinary relationships—as the nuanced form of minority stress differs across SGM subgroups. This symposium seeks to advance the science of minority stress across a diverse array of relationship outcomes and SGM subgroups. Presentations span a variety of research methodologies, including dyadic datasets that allow for actor-partner interdependence models, observational communication studies, moderation and mediation designs, and sequential cohort studies.

To advance the science of minority stress and relationship functioning across the SGM spectrum, presenter 1 will present data from lesbian, gay, and bisexual+ couples to examine how distal (e.g., history of violence) and proximal (i.e., internalized and relationship stigma) minority stressors are related with IPV perpetration. Presenter 2 will elucidate protective (e.g., coping) and risk (e.g., discrimination) pathways from psychological distress to relationship functioning among partnered plurisexual women. Presenter 3 will present how one’s own and one’s partner’s internalized stigma and negative affect following a lab-based stressor discussion are associated with physical, psychological, and identity-specific IPV use among SGM couples. Presenter 4 will present how gender minority stress and partner affirmation, as assessed from a novel measure, are associated with IPV victimization among transgender and nonbinary individuals. Lastly, presenter 5 will present data underscoring the links between minority stress and HIV-risk behaviors (e.g., breaks in relationship agreements) among male couples. Our discussant, an expert on SGM health and the buffering role of romantic relationships, will summarize findings across studies and recommend future avenues for assessment and prevention of IPV, and discuss ways to cultivate resilience in the context of SGM relationships.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:

Identify examples of proximal and distal forms of minority stress that are associated with relational outcomes (e.g. intimate partner violence).
Compare and contrast minority stressors experienced by different relationship subgroups of the sexual and gender community.
Describe possible mechanisms that account for the associations between sexual and gender minority stress and negative relationship outcomes.
Identify how social support and dyadic coping may buffer against the effects of minority stress in sexual and gender minority couples.
Identify clinical avenues for addressing the effects of minority stress within sexual and gender minority relationships.