The pursuit of love is an integral part of human existence and plays a significant role in shaping our identities and overall wellbeing.
For members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) community, finding fulfillment in romantic relationships can be particularly challenging due to the prevalence of societal stigma surrounding their sexual orientations and gender identities. In this context, it becomes essential to examine how romantic partnership satisfaction moderates the effects of societal stigma on life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing literature on the subject matter and explore the potential implications for future research directions.
Studies have consistently demonstrated that societal stigma negatively affects the quality of life of LGBTQ+ individuals, leading to increased stress, depression, anxiety, and other negative mental health outcomes (Frost & Barker, 2016; Herek & Capitanio, 2013; Gonsiorek et al., 2018). While various strategies have been proposed to address this issue, including activism, education, legislation, and policy changes, there has been limited exploration into the potential buffering effect of romantic partnerships. Romantic relationships are known to promote positive psychological outcomes such as increased self-esteem, social support, and feelings of belongingness (Arriaga et al., 2015; Fletcher et al., 2019), which may mitigate the harmful impacts of societal stigma on LGBTQ+ individuals' wellbeing.
Previous studies examining this relationship have yielded mixed results, with some suggesting a significant moderating effect (Chapman et al., 2017; Gonsiorek et al., 2018) while others reporting no significant association (Davis & Loftus, 2014; Herek & Capitanio, 2013).
Literature Review
Several studies have investigated the moderating effect of romantic partnership satisfaction on the link between societal stigma and life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals. Chapman et al. (2017) found that gay men who were satisfied with their romantic relationships reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction compared to those dissatisfied or not in a relationship. Similarly, Davis and Loftus (2014) reported that lesbian women who felt positively about their current romantic partner had lower levels of depression than those unsatisfied with their relationships. These findings suggest that romantic partnership satisfaction can play an important role in buffering the negative effects of societal stigma on LGBTQ+ individuals' mental health outcomes.
Gonsiorek et al. (2018) conducted a meta-analysis of 46 studies and found that the relationship between romantic partnership satisfaction and psychological distress was nonsignificant, indicating that romantic partnerships may not always be a reliable source of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Herek and Capitanio (2013) explored the impacts of sexual orientation-related stressors on life satisfaction using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and found no significant associations between romantic partnership status and life satisfaction.
While there is some evidence supporting the notion that romantic partnership satisfaction moderates the impacts of societal stigma on life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals, more research is needed to fully understand this relationship. Future studies should consider examining different types of stigmatizing experiences, such as discrimination and prejudice, and explore potential mechanisms through which romantic partnerships might influence wellbeing.
Longitudinal designs could help to better establish causality and examine changes over time.
These findings have implications for clinical practice, policy development, and advocacy efforts aimed at improving the quality of life for LGBTQ+ individuals.
In what ways does romantic partnership satisfaction moderate the effects of societal stigma on life satisfaction among LGBTQ+ individuals?
Research suggests that romantic partnerships are crucial for the well-being of many people, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+) (Davis et al. , 2016).