Publications

Sexual Motives, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among Midlife Different-Sex and Same-Sex Couples

Chai, H. W., Mernitz, S. E., & Umberson, D. J. (2023). Sexual Motives, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among Midlife Different-Sex and Same-Sex Couples. The Gerontologist, 63(2), 261–273.

Published online ahead of print on September 5, 2022; available online through Oxford Academic

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Within relationships, sexual motives and stress are independent determinants of psychological health, with notable gendered patterns. However, previous research largely focuses on young adults and different-sex couples. Both sexual motives and levels of stress may be uniquely important to psychological health in midlife, and in potentially different ways for same-sex and different-sex couples. This study examined how the associations between sexual motives, stress, and depressive symptoms differ for midlife men and women in same-sex and different-sex marriages. Research Design and Methods: Using dyadic data from same-sex and different-sex midlife married couples (N = 830 individuals; 415 couples), we examined the associations of intrinsic (e.g., sex for enjoyment and pleasure) and extrinsic (e.g., sex to please one’s spouse) motives for having sex with depressive symptoms and tested whether these associations differed by levels of stress for same-sex and different-sex spouses. Results: Intrinsic sexual motives were associated with fewer depressive symptoms only for same-sex married couples under high stress. Extrinsic sexual motives were related to greater depressive symptoms for women in low stress conditions and men in high stress conditions, and this did not differ for same-sex compared to different-sex marriages. Discussion and Implications: Results show that the interplay between sexual motives and stress varies for men and women in same-sex and different-sex marriages. These findings underscore the importance of considering both gender and sexuality in studying sexual motives in midlife and suggest sexual motives as a useful treatment focus for protecting the psychological health of midlife married couples.

Dyadic coping and marital quality in same-sex and different-sex marriages

Wang, Y., & Umberson, D. (2022). Dyadic coping and marital quality in same-sex and different-sex marriages. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(3), 996-1017.

Published online ahead of print on August 21, 2022; available online through SAGE Journals

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Abstract: Dyadic coping, the process through which couples manage stress together, is important for relationship well-being. However, very few studies have considered dyadic coping and its link with marital quality in same-sex marriages. We analyze dyadic data from a sample of midlife same- and different-sex married couples (N = 838 individuals, 418 couples) to assess gender differences in various forms of dyadic coping (i.e., received and provided positive and negative dyadic coping as well as common/collaborative dyadic coping) and the associations of dyadic coping with marital quality. Results suggest that women married to women are more likely to receive positive support and less likely to receive negative support compared to women married to men. Both men and women in same-sex marriages are more likely to cope with stress collaboratively than their counterparts in different-sex marriages. All forms of dyadic coping are equally important for the marital quality of men and women in same- and different-sex marriages.

Support in response to a spouse’s distress: Comparing women and men in same-sex and different-sex marriages

Thomeer, M. B., Pollitt, A. M., & Umberson, D. (2021). Support in response to a spouse’s distress: Comparing women and men in same-sex and different-sex marriages. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 38(5), 1513–1534. 

Published online ahead of print on March 3, 2021; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

Abstract: Support for a spouse with psychological distress can be expressed in many different ways. Previous research indicates that support expression is shaped by gender, but we do not know much about how support within marriage is provided in response to a spouse’s distress outside of a different-sex couple context. In this study, we analyze dyadic data from 378 midlife married couples (35–65 years; N = 756 individuals) within the U.S. to examine how men and women in same- and different-sex relationships provide support when they perceive that their spouse is experiencing distress. We find women in different-sex couples are less likely to report taking care of their distressed spouse’s tasks or giving their distressed spouse more personal time and space compared to women in same-sex couples and men. We also find that men in different-sex couples are less likely to report encouraging their spouse to talk compared to men in same-sex couples and women. Being personally stressed by a spouse’s distress is positively associated with providing support to that spouse, whereas feeling that a spouse’s distress is stressful for the marriage is negatively associated with providing support. This study advances understanding of gendered provisions of support in response to psychological distress in marriage, moving beyond a framing of women as fundamentally more supportive than men to a consideration of how these dynamics may be different or similar in same- and different-sex marital contexts.

Differences in How Spouses Influence Each Other’s Alcohol Use in Same- and Different-Sex Marriages: A Daily Diary Study

Pollitt, A. M., Donnelly, R., Mernitz, S. E., & Umberson, D. (2020). Differences in how spouses influence each other’s alcohol use in same- and different-sex marriages: A daily diary study. Social Science and Medicine, 264.

Published online ahead of print on September 25, 2020; available online through Elsevier; and as a PDF

Abstract: Rationale: Different-sex spouses influence each other's alcohol consumption, with women having more influence on their spouses than men. Because women drink less than men, this long-term influence partly explains why married men and women consume less alcohol than their unmarried peers. However, much less is known about possible gender differences in the ways spouses influence each other's alcohol use on a day-to-day basis in same-compared to different-sex marriages. Because sexual minority people are at higher risk for alcohol use disorders compared to their heterosexual counterparts, such knowledge could shed light on ways to reduce this risk and alcohol use disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual people. Method: We use 10 days of diary data collected in 2014–2015 in the United States from 157 female same-sex, 106 male same-sex, and 115 different-sex married couples in midlife (ages 35–65) to examine how one spouse's drinking influences how much the other spouse drinks on the following day. Results: Men reported higher levels of daily drinking than women; after including covariates, men in different-sex marriages reported drinking at the highest levels. Results from actor-partner interdependence models show that men in same- and different-sex marriages drink more, and women in different-sex marriages drink less when their spouse drinks more the previous day. Female same-sex spouses did not change their drinking behaviors in response to their spouse's drinking. Conclusions: Overall higher rates of drinking among men in same-sex marriages suggest an accumulation effect of drinking that may contribute to sexual minority health disparities. Women and men in different-sex marriages may be engaging in social control or navigating masculinity norms. Women in same-sex marriages may not feel the need to adjust to low levels of drinking by their spouses. Findings suggest that spousal influence over alcohol consumption unfolds differently in same-sex compared to different-sex marriages.

The Psychological Toll of Emotion Work in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marital Dyads

Umberson, D., Thomeer, M.B., Pollitt, A. M., & Mernitz, S. E. (2020). The psychological toll of emotion work in same-sex and different-sex marital dyads. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82 (4), 1141-1158.

Published online ahead of print on May 11, 2020; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Objective: This study considers how the provision of daily emotion work may affect the psychological well‐being of the emotion worker, and how this linkage may vary for men and women in same‐ and different‐sex marriages. Background: Emotion work–work intended to bolster a spouse's well‐being by reading and managing the spouse's emotional needs—is common within marital relationships and often gendered, with women more aware of and concerned with emotion work than men. Yet, the psychological cost of performing emotion work is largely unexplored. Method: This study relies on 10 days of daily experiences data from spouses in same‐ and different‐sex marriages (n = 756 individuals). Mixed effects multilevel regression modeling is used to examine how the provision of emotion work is associated with the emotion workers' psychological well‐being. Results: Providing emotion work is inversely associated with emotion workers' psychological well‐being, especially when provided for a spouse with elevated depressive symptoms. These estimated effects are generally similar for men and women but greater for those married to a man than for those married to a woman, whether in a same‐ or different‐sex marriage. Conclusion: Emotion work appears to adversely affect the worker's own psychological well‐being, especially when a spouse has elevated depressive symptoms and when one's spouse is a man. These results point to the importance of dyadic approaches and consideration of gendered relationship dynamics of same‐ as well as different‐sex couples in studies of emotion work and other marital processes.

The Gender-as-Relation Approach for Theorizing About Romantic Relationships of Sexual Minority Mid- to Later-Life Adults

Thomeer, M.B., Umberson, D., & Reczek, C. (2020). The gender-as-relation approach for theorizing about romantic relationships of sexual and gender minority mid- to later-life adults. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 12 (2), 220-237. 

Published online ahead of print on May 5, 2020; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: This article employs the gender‐as‐relational (GAR) approach to enhance the study of the long‐term romantic relationships of sexual and gender minority mid‐ to later‐life adults. The GAR approach states that gender in relationships is shaped by three key factors: own gender, partner gender, and the gendered relational context. This approach emphasizes that the relationship dynamics of men, women, and gender‐nonconforming individuals are highly diverse, reflecting that gender is a social construct formed within interactions and institutions. We explicate how GAR can reorganize the study of sexual and gender diversity in three research areas related to aging and relationships—caregiving, marital health benefits, and intimacy—and discuss theory‐driven methods appropriate for a GAR research agenda. A GAR framework reorients research by complicating taken‐for‐granted assumptions about how gender operates in mid‐ to later‐life romantic relationships and queering understandings of aging and romantic relationships to include experiences outside of heteronormative and cisnormative categories.

LGBTQ-Parent Families and Health

Pollitt, A.M., Reczek, C., & Umberson, D. (2020). LGBTQ-Parent Families and Health. In A. E. Goldberg & K.R. Allen (Eds.), LGBTQ-Parent Families: Innovation in Research and Implications for Practice (pp. 125-140). Springer

Published online ahead of print on April 4, 2020; available online through Springer Link

Abstract: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people report worse physical and mental health than their heterosexual peers. We review the literature on physical and mental health outcomes among parents and children in LGBTQ-parent families through a family resilience framework. In doing so, we describe research on mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience in families. We found few studies specifically focused on LGBTQ parents and physical health outcomes. Experiences of stigma and peer victimization among LGBTQ parents and children are stressful and associated with psychological distress. However, stressful experiences do not appear to result in significant mental health disparities between children of same-sex and children of different-sex parents. Instability and the ability to mitigate instability appear to be more strongly related to mental health outcomes than family status, parent gender, and family formation method. Clinicians can help mitigate potential negative mental and physical health outcomes by identifying and providing support to families for coping with stress related to stigma, discrimination, and family transitions. School policies and personnel can do more to intervene in bullying based on family status. Additional research on health outcomes, particularly physical health, is needed, including among LGBTQ-parent families of color, bisexual and transgender parent families, and second-generation LGBTQ youth. Overall, there is more to learn about how best to support the health and well-being of these often marginalized families.

Family Matters: Research on Family Ties and Health, 2010 to 2020

Umberson, D. & Thomeer, M.B. (2020). Family Matters: Research on Family Ties and Health, 2010 to 2020. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82 (1), 404-419.

Published online ahead of print on January 5, 2020; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: Family ties have wide‐ranging consequences for health, for better and for worse. This decade review uses a life course perspective to frame significant advances in research on the effects of family structure and transitions (e.g., marital status) and family dynamics and quality (e.g., emotional support from family members) on health across the life course. Significant advances include the linking of childhood family experiences to health at older ages, identification of biosocial processes that explain how family ties influence health throughout life, research on social contagion showing how family members influence one another's health, and attention to diversity in family and health dynamics, including gender, sexuality, socioeconomic, and racial diversity. Significant innovations in methods include dyadic and family‐level analysis and causal inference strategies. The review concludes by identifying directions for future research on families and health, advocating for a “family biography” framework to guide future research, and calling for more research specifically designed to assess policies that affect families and their health from childhood into later life.

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

Garcia, M. A., & Umberson, D. (2019). Marital Strain and Psychological Distress in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 81(5), 1253–1268.

Published online ahead of print on June 6, 2019; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Objective: This study examines the association of marital strain—as reported by each spouse—with psychological distress and considers whether the associations vary for men and women in gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages. Background: Prior studies show that marital strain is associated with psychological distress. However, most studies rely on only one spouse's perspective and do not consider how appraisals of strain from both spouses may contribute to distress. Moreover, possible gender differences in these associations have been considered only for heterosexual couples. Method: The analyses are based on 10 days of dyadic diary data from 756 midlife U.S. men and women in 378 gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages. Multilevel modeling is used to examine the association of self‐ and spouse‐reported marital strain with psychological distress; actor‐partner interdependence models explore possible gender differences in these associations. Results: Both self‐reports and spousal reports of marital strain are associated with psychological distress, with notable gender differences. The associations of self‐ and spouse‐reported marital strain with distress are stronger for women in different‐sex marriages when compared with men in same‐sex and different‐sex marriages. The association is also stronger for women in different‐sex marriages when compared with women in same‐sex marriages, but for self‐reported strain only. Conclusion: Marital appraisals by both spouses are important for psychological well‐being and may be especially important for the well‐being of women in different‐sex marriages. 

"Go See Somebody”: How Spouses Promote Mental Health Care

Reczek, C., Thomeer, M. B., Gebhardt-Kram, L., & Umberson, D. (2020). “Go See Somebody”: How Spouses Promote Mental Health Care. Society and Mental Health, 10(1), 80–96. 

Published online ahead of print on April 4, 2019; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

Abstract: This study considers when, whether, and how spouses encourage professional mental health care by analyzing qualitative data from 90 in-depth interviews with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses. Findings show that a majority of spouses are engaged in promoting each other’s mental health care but that the strategies used to promote care vary by gender and the gender composition of the couple. The majority of gay men and lesbian women promote care by framing mental health problems as largely biochemical, fixable only with professional care or medicine, and work to destigmatize this care. Lesbian women uniquely emphasize the influence of a spouse’s symptoms on marital quality as a reason to pursue care. Some heterosexual women and men also report seeing their spouse’s mental health care as something for them to deal with on their own and thus do not encourage care. This study has important implications for researchers looking to understand why some individuals seek mental health care and others do not and provides policymakers insight into mental health interventions via spouses.

Same-Sex Marriage and Mental Health: The Role of Marital Quality

Mernitz, S. E., Pollitt, A. M., & Umberson, D. (2019). Same-sex marriage and mental health: The role of marital quality. In H. Liu, C. Reczek, & L. Wilkinson (Eds.), Marriage and Health: The Well-Being of Same-Sex Couples (pp. 216-228). New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. 

Available online through Rutgers University Press

Abstract: Studies have shown that married couples have better mental and physical health than unmarried people. Leading scholars and policy makers propose that marriage can provide similar benefits to people in both same-sex and different-sex relationships. Though research on the health and well-being of same-sex couples is a new and growing field, Marriage and Health: The Well-Being of Same-Sex Couples represents the forefront of marriage and health research and the far-reaching policy implications for the health of same-sex couples. This collection of essays presents new perspectives that address current opportunities and challenges faced by people in same-sex unions in multiple domains of well-being, including physical and mental health, social support, socialized behaviors, and stigmas. The book offers a broad view of same-sex couples’ experiences by examining not only marriage and civil unions, but also dating and cohabiting relationships as well as same-sex sexual experiences outside of relationships. 

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

Behler, R., Donnelly, R., & Umberson, D. (2019). Psychological Distress Transmission in Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 60(1), 18–35.

Published online ahead of print on November 21, 2018; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

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.

Healthcare Work in Marriage: How Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Spouses Encourage and Coerce Medical Care

Reczek, C., Gebhardt-Kram, L., Kissling, A., & Umberson, D. (2018). Healthcare Work in Marriage: How Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Spouses Encourage and Coerce Medical Care. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 59(4), 554–568.

Published online ahead of print on November 1, 2018; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

Abstract: Marriage benefits health in part because spouses promote one another’s well-being, yet how spouses facilitate formal healthcare (e.g., doctor’s visits, emergency care) via what we call healthcare work is unknown. Moreover, like other aspects of the marital-health link, healthcare work dynamics likely vary by gender and couple type. To explore this possibility, we use in-depth interviews with 90 midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses to examine how spouses perform healthcare work. Our results show that in heterosexual marriage, women perform the bulk of healthcare work and typically do so in coercive ways. A minority of heterosexual men provide instrumental healthcare work for their wives. Gay and lesbian spouses appear to commonly use both coercive and supportive healthcare work strategies to effectively promote healthcare use. Our findings demonstrate the ways spouses are central to supporting and coercing one another to obtain medical care and how these patterns are gendered.

What We Know (And Don’t Know) About the Bereavement Experiences of Same-Sex Spouses

Donnelly, R., Reczek, C., & Umberson, D. (2018). What We Know (And Don’t Know) About the Bereavement Experiences of Same-Sex Spouses. In A. E. Goldberg & A. P. Romero (Eds.), LGBTQ Divorce and Relationship Dissolution: Psychological and Legal Perspectives and Implications for Practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Published online ahead of print in November 2018; available online through Oxford Clinical Psychology

Abstract: The death of a spouse is an involuntary form of relationship dissolution with deleterious health consequences for the surviving partner. Yet, to date, researchers have not examined widowhood experiences of individuals in same-sex marriages. Past research shows that spousal caregiving during illness and end-of-life planning shapes the bereavement experience for different-sex couples. Thus this chapter reviews literature on midlife caregiving, illness experiences, and end-of-life planning to provide clues about how bereavement experiences might unfold for spouses in same-sex marriages. We further provide an empirical analysis of caregiving and illness using dyadic survey data collected from same- and different-sex spouses. Our results show that same-sex married couples report receiving the most care from spouses during past health events and have the most confidence in their spouse to provide adequate care in the future. Evidence on caregiving and end-of-life experiences points to future directions for research on bereaved same-sex spouses.

Can Spouses Buffer the Impact of Discrimination on Depressive Symptoms? An Examination of Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages

Donnelly, R., Robinson, B. A., & Umberson, D. (2019). Can Spouses Buffer the Impact of Discrimination on Depressive Symptoms? An Examination of Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages. Society and Mental Health, 9(2), 192–210.

Published online ahead of print on September 21, 2018; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

Abstract: Discrimination due to personal characteristics (e.g., gender, sexuality, appearance) is a common yet stressful experience that is detrimental to mental health. Prior work has not considered how spouses in same- and different-sex marriages help each other cope with discrimination despite the importance of marriage for managing stress and adversity. We analyze survey data collected from both spouses in same-sex and different-sex marriages within the United States (N = 836 individuals) to examine whether support from spouses weakens the impact of discrimination on depressive symptoms. Results suggest that discrimination contributes to depressive symptoms, but greater support from spouses buffers the mental health consequences of discrimination. Individuals in same-sex marriages report more spousal support than individuals in different-sex marriages, even after accounting for experiences of discrimination. Same-sex couples may get needed spousal support, whereas women married to men receive the least spousal support and may be vulnerable to stressors that challenge mental health.

Marriage, Social Control, and Health Behavior: A Dyadic Analysis of Same-sex and Different-sex Couples

Umberson, D., Donnelly, R., & Pollitt, A. M. (2018). Marriage, Social Control, and Health Behavior: A Dyadic Analysis of Same-sex and Different-sex Couples. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 59(3), 429–446.

Published online ahead of print on July 27, 2018; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Prior research based on studies of heterosexual populations suggests that men’s health benefits more from marriage than women’s, in part because women do more than men to influence the health habits of their spouse. We extend this work by using dyadic survey data from 838 spouses in 419 gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages to consider differences in social control tactics across same-sex and different-sex couples—that is, how spouses monitor and regulate each other’s health habits. Results suggest that although gender differences in social control are common, gendered patterns sometimes differ depending on whether one is in a same-sex or different-sex marriage. Results also point to the importance of health habits as strong drivers of relationship dynamics across gay and lesbian as well as heterosexual marriages.

Sex in Midlife: Women's Sexual Experiences in Lesbian and Straight Marriages

Paine, Emily, Debra Umberson and Corinne Reczek (2019). Sex in Midlife: Women’s Sexual Experiences in Lesbian and Straight Marriages. Journal of Marriage and Family 81(1): 7-23.

Published online ahead of print on July 02, 2018; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: Objective: This study examines how married straight and lesbian women understand sexual changes in midlife. Background: Sexual satisfaction is key to marital quality, yet marital sex typically diminishes in midlife. Little is known, however, about how married straight and lesbian women make sense of midlife sexuality. Comparing the narratives of lesbian and straight women can reveal how midlife events, relational contexts, and gender norms drive women's experiences of and responses to diminishing sex. Method: Inductive and deductive analyses were performed on interviews with a convenience sample of 16 straight and 16 lesbian mostly high‐status married couples in Massachusetts. Results: Lesbian and straight women suggest that sexual activity and desire diminish over time due to health, aging, and caregiving events, yet lesbian women additionally emphasize the importance of weight gain, caregiving for adult parents, and shared experiences of menopause. Women further describe distress when their sex lives diverge from norms specific to marriage and their sexual identities. Moreover, women report relationship work designed to maintain or reignite sex; when compared with straight women, lesbians describe more work and a stronger sense of duty to keep sex alive and uniquely describe medical providers as unhelpful in addressing sexual challenges. Conclusion: The results suggest that relational contexts and cultural discourses shape straight and lesbian women's experiences of distress and comfort about diminishing sex in marriage.

Before and After “I Do”: Marriage Processes for Mid-Life Gay and Lesbian Married Couples

Bosley-Smith, E. R., & Reczek, C. (2018). Before and After “I Do”: Marriage Processes for Mid-Life Gay and Lesbian Married Couples. Journal of Homosexuality, 65(14), 1985–2004.

Published online ahead of print on April 3, 2018; available online through Taylor & Francis Online; and as a PDF

Abstract: This qualitative study examines how mid-life gay and lesbian married individuals articulate their decision to marry. Using 2013 data from 30 mid-life couples in Massachusetts, this study challenges previous literature that conceptualized marriage as entirely positive or negative for same-sex individuals. Mid-life individuals’ unique social and historical context influence their experiences of marriage, as mid-life individuals have witnessed the rise and feasibility of marriage equality, have formed relationships outside of the bounds of marriage, and have been in committed relationships long before they married. Using the framework of ambivalence, our findings provide three main contributions to the literature. First, we show that marital ambivalence is a common experience in our sample. Second, we detail how marital ambivalence is indicative of the age, life-course stage, and length of relationship for mid-life lesbian and gay individuals. Third, we explore ambivalence at the level of the relationship, not just as an individual experience. This study provides new insight into how sexuality shapes both intimate relationship dynamics as well as the effect of same-sex marriage on LGBT communities and identities.

Gender Conformity, Perceptions of Shared Power, and Marital Quality in Same- and Different-Sex Marriages

Pollitt, A. M., Robinson, B. A., & Umberson, D. (2018). Gender Conformity, Perceptions of Shared Power, and Marital Quality in Same- and Different-Sex Marriages. Gender & Society, 32(1), 109–131.

Published online ahead of print on November 20, 2017; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Research on gender inequality within different-sex marriages shows that women do more unpaid labor than men, and that the perception of inequality influences perceptions of marital quality. Yet research on same-sex couples suggests the importance of considering how gender is relational. Past studies show that same-sex partners share unpaid labor more equally and perceive greater equity than do different-sex partners, and that lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are less gender conforming than heterosexuals. However, studies have not considered how gender conformity might shape inequalities and marital quality within same- and different-sex unions. In this study, we analyze dyadic data from both spouses in same- and different-sex marriages to explore how sex of spouse and gender conformity influence perceptions of shared power within the relationship, which, in turn, influences marital quality. Results show that greater gender conformity is related to stronger perceptions of shared power in different-sex and male same-sex couples but not in female same-sex couples. Perceptions of shared power are positively associated with marital quality in all union types. Our findings suggest that maintaining hegemonic masculinity and power inequalities may be salient to marriages with men. In female same-sex couples, gender and its relation to power inequalities may carry less meaning. 

Childhood Adversity, Daily Stress, and Marital Strain in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages 

Donnelly, R., Umberson, D., & Kroeger, R. A. (2018). Childhood Adversity, Daily Stress, and Marital Strain in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages. Journal of Family Issues, 39(7), 2085–2106.

Published online ahead of print on November 16, 2017; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF 

Abstract: Childhood adversity has enduring consequences for individuals throughout life, including increased reactivity to stress that may contribute to marital strain in adulthood. Past research on gendered experiences of heterosexual spouses raises questions about how the influence of childhood adversity might differ for men and women in same-sex marriages. We analyze dyadic diary data from 756 individuals in 106 male same-sex, 157 female same-sex, and 115 different-sex marriages to consider how childhood adversity moderates the association between daily stress and marital strain. Results suggest that the negative consequences of daily stress for marital strain are amplified by past childhood adversity with variation for men and women in same- and different-sex unions, such that women and those in same-sex marriages may experience some protection from the adverse consequences of childhood adversity.

Planning for Future Care and the End of Life: A Qualitative Analysis of Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Couples

Thomeer, M. B., Donnelly, R., Reczek, C., & Umberson, D. (2017). Planning for Future Care and the End of Life: A Qualitative Analysis of Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Couples. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 58(4), 473–487.

Published online ahead of print on October 10, 2017; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Two key components of end-of-life planning are (1) informal discussions about future care and other end-of-life preferences and (2) formal planning via living wills and other legal documents. We leverage previous work on the institutional aspects of marriage and on sexual-minority discrimination to theorize why and how heterosexual, gay, and lesbian married couples engage in informal and formal end-of-life planning. We analyze qualitative dyadic in-depth interviews with 45 midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual married couples (N = 90 spouses). Findings suggest that same-sex spouses devote considerable attention to informal planning conversations and formal end-of-life plans, while heterosexual spouses report minimal formal or informal planning. The primary reasons same-sex spouses give for making end-of-life preparations are related to the absence of legal protections and concerns about discrimination from families. These findings raise questions about future end-of-life planning for same- and different-sex couples given a rapidly shifting legal and social landscape.

Health and Health Behavior Concordance between Spouses in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages 

Holway, G. V., Umberson, D., & Donnelly, R. (2018). Health and Health Behavior Concordance between Spouses in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages. Social Currents, 5(4), 319–327.

Published online ahead on print on October 5, 2017; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

Abstract: Research shows that heterosexual spouses are concordant on a variety of health and health behavior outcomes. Yet, little is known about patterns of concordance between spouses in same-sex marriages, or whether concordance patterns differ for spouses in same- and different-sex marriages. Using descriptive techniques, we analyze survey data from both spouses in 121 gay, 168 lesbian, and 122 heterosexual married couples to examine health and health behavior concordance. We find that gay and lesbian couples are more concordant than heterosexual couples on several health and health behavior outcomes. Differences in concordance between gay and lesbian couples are also found. Findings suggest that the pathways through which concordance occurs may differ in important ways for same-sex and different-sex unions.

Physical Illness in Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages: Gendered Dyadic Experiences

Umberson, D., Thomeer, M. B., Reczek, C., & Donnelly, R. (2016). Physical Illness in Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages: Gendered Dyadic Experiences. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 57(4), 517–531.

Published online ahead of print on November 1, 2016; available online through SAGE Journals; and as a PDF

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Abstract: The inclusion of same-sex married couples can illuminate and challenge assumptions about gender that are routinely taken for granted in studies of physical illness. We analyze gender dynamics in gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages with in-depth interview data from 90 spouses (45 couples) to consider how spouses co-construct illness experiences in ways that shape relationship dynamics. Overall, findings indicate that men tend to downplay illness and thus provide minimal care work, whereas women tend to construct illness as immersive and involving intensive care work—in both same-sex and different-sex marriages. Yet same-sex spouses describe similar constructions of illness much more so than different-sex couples, and as such, same-sex spouses describe less illness-related disagreement and stress. These findings help inform policies to support the health of gay and lesbian, as well as heterosexual, patients and their spouses, an important goal given health disparities of gay and lesbian populations.

Instrumental- and Emotion-Focused Care Work During Physical Health Events: Comparing Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages

Umberson, D., Thomeer, M. B., Kroeger, R. A., Reczek, C., & Donnelly, R. (2017). Instrumental- and Emotion-Focused Care Work During Physical Health Events: Comparing Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 72(3), 498–509.

Published online ahead of print on October 4, 2016; available online through Oxford Academic; and as a PDF

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Abstract: Objectives: We consider emotion- and instrumental-focused care work and marital stress during significant physical health events in midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages. Method: We employ the factorial method, an extension of the actor–partner interdependence model, to analyze survey data from 808 midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses in 404 unions. Results: The amount of emotion- and instrumental-focused care work provided during physical health events, and the associations between care work and marital stress, depends on the gender of the respondent, gender of the spouse, and whether spouses are in a same-sex or different-sex union. For example, in both same- and different-sex marriages, women report providing more emotion-focused care work during their own health event than do men, and respondents report more health-related marital stress when the patient is a woman. Discussion: Investigating how midlife same-sex and different-sex spouses care for each other during a spouse’s health event expands understandings of gendered aging experiences within marriage. Findings can elucidate health policies and clinical strategies that best support the health of men and women in same- and different-sex marriages.

Ambivalence in Gay and Lesbian Family Relationships

Reczek, Corinne. 2016. “Ambivalence in Gay and Lesbian Family Relationships.” Journal of Marriage and Family, 78(3):644–59.

Published online ahead of print on April 21, 2016; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: Research on same-sex relationships has informed policy debates and legal decisions that greatly affect American families, yet the data and methods available to scholars studying same-sex relationships have been limited. In this article the authors review current approaches to studying same-sex relationships and significant challenges for this research. After exploring how researchers have dealt with these challenges in prior studies, the authors discuss promising strategies and methods to advance future research on same-sex relationships, with particular attention given to gendered contexts and dyadic research designs, quasi-experimental designs, and a relationship biography approach. Innovation and advances in the study of same-sex relationships will further theoretical and empirical knowledge in family studies more broadly and increase understanding of different-sex as well as same-sex relationships.

Greedy Spouse, Needy Parent: The Marital Dynamics of Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Intergenerational Caregivers

Reczek, C., & Umberson, D. (2016). Greedy Spouse, Needy Parent: The Marital Dynamics of Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Intergenerational Caregivers. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 78(4), 957–974.

Published online ahead of print on May 27, 2016; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: It is well established that married heterosexual women do more intergenerational caregiving for aging parents and parents‐in‐law than married heterosexual men do. However, gay men and lesbian women's recent access to marriage presents new questions about the gendered marital dynamics of intergenerational caregiving. We use dyadic data with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses to examine the marital dynamics of intergenerational caregivers. Results show that gay and lesbian spouses provided intensive time and emotional support for an intergenerational caregiver. In contrast, heterosexual women described their intergenerational caregiving as rarely supported and at times even undermined by their spouse. Dyadic data on heterosexual men corroborate women's accounts; heterosexual men rarely reported providing intergenerational caregiving, and thus heterosexual women rarely described providing spousal support. These findings provide new insight into the intermingled roles of “greedy” marriages and “needy” parents, wherein marital negotiations around caregiving vary by gender for gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marital dyads.

Gender, Marriage, and Health for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Future Keeps Arriving

Umberson, D., & Kroeger, R. A. (2016). Gender, Marriage, and Health for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Future Keeps Arriving. In S. M. McHale, V. King, J. Van Hook, & A. Booth (Eds.), Gender and Couple Relationships (pp. 189–213).

Published online ahead of print on October 28, 2015; available online through Springer Link

Abstract: The married are in better health than the unmarried and this benefit is greater for men than women. Moreover, marital quality is associated with better health and tends to be more positive for men. The definition of marriage has changed over time though, raising new questions about gender, marriage, and health. In particular, the rise of same-sex marriage in the USA raises questions about whether the marriage benefit to health extends to same-sex couples, and whether there is a gender difference in the benefits of marriage for the health of same-sex couples. We consider current evidence for gendered patterns of marriage and health and how these patterns may differ for same-sex and different-sex couples. We present findings from a dyadic analysis of recently collected diary data on marital dynamics and health for same-sex and different-sex couples, and discuss how the rise of same-sex marriage can illuminate our understanding of gendered marital dynamics that influence health.

Relationship Dynamics around Depression in Gay and Lesbian Couples

Thomeer, Mieke B., Corinne Reczek, and Debra Umberson (2015). “Relationship Dynamics around Depression in Gay and Lesbian Couples.” Social Science & Medicine,147:38-46.

Published online ahead of print on October 21, 2015; available online through ScienceDirect; and as a PDF

Abstract: Research on intimate relationship dynamics around depression has primarily focused on heterosexual couples. This body of work shows that wives are more likely than husbands to offer support to a depressed spouse. Moreover, when wives are depressed, they are more likely than husbands to try and shield their spouse from the stress of their own depression. Yet, previous research has not examined depression and relationship dynamics in gay and lesbian couples. We analyze in-depth interviews with 26 gay and lesbian couples (N = 52 individuals) in which one or both partners reported depression. We find evidence that dominant gender scripts are both upheld and challenged within gay and lesbian couples, providing important insight into how gender operates in relation to depression within same-sex contexts. Our results indicate that most gay and lesbian partners offer support to a depressed partner, yet lesbian couples tend to follow a unique pattern in that they provide support both as the non-depressed and depressed partner. Support around depression is sometimes viewed as improving the relationship, but if the support is intensive or rejected, it is often viewed as contributing to relationship strain. Support is also sometimes withdrawn by the non-depressed partner because of caregiver exhaustion or the perception that the support is unhelpful. This study points to the importance of considering depression within gay and lesbian relational contexts, revealing new ways support sustains and strains intimate partnerships. We emphasize the usefulness of deploying couple-level approaches to better understand depression in sexual minority populations.

Intimacy and Emotion Work in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Relationships

Umberson, Debra, Mieke Beth Thomeer, and Amy C. Lodge. 2015. “Intimacy and Emotion Work in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Relationships.” Journal of Marriage and Family 77(2):542–56.

Published online ahead of print on March 4, 2015; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: Knowledge about how gender shapes intimacy is dominated by a heteronormative focus on relationships involving a man and a woman. In this study, the authors shifted the focus to consider gendered meanings and experiences of intimacy in same-sex and different-sex relationships. They merged the gender-as-relational perspective—that gender is co-constructed and enacted within relationships—with theoretical perspectives on emotion work and intimacy to frame an analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 lesbian, 15 gay, and 20 heterosexual couples. They found that emotion work directed toward minimizing and maintaining boundaries between partners is key to understanding intimacy in long-term relationships. Moreover, these dynamics, including the type and division of emotion work, vary for men and women depending on whether they are in a same-sex or different-sex relationship. These findings push thinking about diversity in long-term relationships beyond a focus on gender difference and toward gendered relational contexts.

Challenges and Opportunities for Research on Same-Sex Relationships

Umberson, D., Thomeer, M. B., Kroeger, R. A., Lodge, A. C., & Xu, M. (2015). Challenges and Opportunities for Research on Same-Sex Relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(1), 96–111.

Published online ahead of print on January 14, 2015; available online through Wiley Online Library; and as a PDF

Abstract: Research on same-sex relationships has informed policy debates and legal decisions that greatly affect American families, yet the data and methods available to scholars studying same-sex relationships have been limited. In this article the authors review current approaches to studying same-sex relationships and significant challenges for this research. After exploring how researchers have dealt with these challenges in prior studies, the authors discuss promising strategies and methods to advance future research on same-sex relationships, with particular attention given to gendered contexts and dyadic research designs, quasi-experimental designs, and a relationship biography approach. Innovation and advances in the study of same-sex relationships will further theoretical and empirical knowledge in family studies more broadly and increase understanding of different-sex as well as same-sex relationships.

Gendered emotion work around physical health problems in mid- and later-life marriages

Thomeer, Mieke Beth, Corinne Reczek, and Debra Umberson. 2015. “Gendered Emotion Work around Physical Health Problems in Mid- and Later-Life Marriages.” Journal of Aging Studies, 32:12–22.

Published online ahead of print on December 16, 2014; available online through ScienceDirect; and as a PDF

Abstract: The provision and receipt of emotion work—defined as intentional activities done to promote another's emotional well-being—are central dimensions of marriage. However, emotion work in response to physical health problems is a largely unexplored, yet likely important, aspect of the marital experience. We analyze dyadic in-depth interviews with husbands and wives in 21 mid- to later-life couples to examine the ways that health-impaired people and their spouses provide, interpret, and explain emotion work. Because physical health problems, emotion work, and marital dynamics are gendered, we consider how these processes differ for women and men. We find that wives provide emotion work regardless of their own health status. Husbands provide emotion work less consistently, typically only when the husbands see themselves as their wife's primary source of stability or when the husbands view their marriage as balanced. Notions of traditional masculinity preclude some husbands from providing emotion work even when their wife is health-impaired. This study articulates emotion work around physical health problems as one factor that sustains and exacerbates gender inequalities in marriage with implications for emotional and physical well-being.