LGBT individuals face unique challenges when it comes to sustaining healthy romantic relationships due to social stigma, discrimination, and prejudice. One challenge faced by LGBT couples is how to maintain intimacy and emotional support during extended periods of separation caused by military deployment. This study aimed to explore the psychological mechanisms that enable LGBT couples to sustain their relationship despite such difficulties.
The study involved an online survey of 200 LGBT individuals who had been through military deployment within the past year. Participants were asked about their experiences of sustaining intimacy and emotional support while deployed, including specific strategies they used. Data analysis revealed several common themes among participants' responses.
One key factor was communication. Many respondents reported using video calls, phone calls, text messages, and email to stay in touch with their partners while apart. They also expressed gratitude for technology that allowed them to send pictures, videos, and voice recordings, which helped them feel closer despite physical distance. Some reported engaging in "sexting" or sending erotic material to each other as a way to keep the spark alive.
Another important factor was setting expectations and boundaries. Respondents emphasized the importance of clear communication around sexual activity and other aspects of the relationship before deployment began. They discussed their desires, needs, and limits, and agreed upon what was acceptable and unacceptable behavior while apart. This helped prevent misunderstandings and feelings of betrayal.
Many respondents described developing new routines and rituals to help them cope with separation. These included sharing daily activities like exercising, reading books together, or watching movies at the same time. They also discussed ways to keep the romance alive, such as writing love letters or exchanging gifts.
This study suggests that effective communication, boundary-setting, and creating novel routines can help LGBT couples maintain intimacy and emotional support during prolonged deployments. Future research should explore how these psychological processes might apply to other types of long-distance relationships, such as those between international students or immigrants.
Which psychological processes enable LGBT couples to sustain intimacy, emotional support, and relationship satisfaction during prolonged deployments?
Psychologically, the process of maintaining intimacy, emotional support, and relationship satisfaction during long deployments is achieved through communication, trust, shared goals, and self-disclosure. According to research studies conducted on military families (Bergman & Sullivan 2014), communication plays an important role in sustaining intimacy between spouses because it provides them with a sense of connectedness and emotional closeness despite physical separation.