Development of Romantic Relationships and Sexual Activity in Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Longitudinal Study

Marriage is widely thought to confer mental health benefits, but little is known about how this apparent benefit may vary across the life course. Early marriage, which is nonnormative, could have no, or even negative, mental health consequences for young adults. Using survey data from waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( n = 11,695), I find that married young adults exhibit levels of psychological distress that are similar to those of young adults in any kind of romantic relationship. Married and engaged young adults also report lower frequency of drunkenness than those who are not in a romantic relationship. Married young adults, especially those who first married at ages 22 to 26, report higher life satisfaction than those in other type of romantic relationships,those in no romantic relationship, and those who married prior to age 22. Explanations for these findings are examined, and their implications are discussed.

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Singlehood and Attunement of Self-Esteem to Friendships

Social Psychological and Personality Science ◽

10.1177/1948550620988460 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 194855062098846

Author(s):

Alexandra N. Fisher ◽

Danu Anthony Stinson ◽

Joanne V. Wood ◽

John G. Holmes ◽

Jessica J. Cameron

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Romantic Relationships ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Multilevel Modeling ◽

Mediation Analysis ◽

Friendship Quality ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Over Time

Romantic relationships activate a process of psychological attunement whereby self-esteem becomes responsive to the romantic bond, thereby potentially benefitting relationship quality and bolstering self-esteem. Yet some people are romantically single, raising the question: Do single people also exhibit psychological attunement? In a 2-year longitudinal study of young adults ( N = 279), we test whether singles psychologically attune to their friendships. Multilevel modeling revealed that within-person fluctuations in friendship quality predicted within-person fluctuations in self-esteem, and this association was stronger for singles than for partnered people. A cross-sectional mediation analysis also revealed that singles invested more in their friendships than partnered people, and greater friendship investment predicted greater friendship quality and self-esteem later on. Finally, singles maintain their friendship quality over time while partnered people experience declines. Taken together, these results suggest that singles are psychologically attuned to their friendships, and such attunement may benefit their belongingness and self-esteem.

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Young people’s romantic relationships and sexual activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11818-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Yarger ◽

Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez ◽

Sarah Han ◽

Natasha Borgen ◽

Martha J. Decker

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Romantic Relationships ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Online Survey ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Fresno County ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Before And After

Abstract Background Social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may profoundly impact young people’s relationships. This study compared adolescent and young adults’ romantic relationships and sexual activity before and after social distancing policies were enacted. Methods In June 2020, 351 youth participating in an ongoing intervention study in Fresno County, California completed an online survey about their experiences related to COVID-19. The survey included open and closed-ended questions about their romantic relationships, sexual activity, and online romantic or sexual interactions before and during social distancing restrictions. We used the chi-square test of independence to compare adolescent (ages 13–17) and young adults’ (ages 18–21) responses. Results were also compared to responses in the intervention study’s baseline survey. Results One-third (37%) of youth were dating or in a romantic relationship and 28% spent time in person with a partner early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those dating or in a relationship, 34% physically distanced from their partner due to parental restrictions related to COVID-19. Youth also spent less time in person with their partners during the pandemic than before. Although most youth (69%) were not sexually active before or during the pandemic, 22% had sex during the social distancing period. Young adults were more likely to spend time with their partners and have sex during the restrictions than adolescents. Most youth were not involved in sexting or online dating, before or during the pandemic. Conclusions Adolescents and young adults have continued to engage in sexual and romantic relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic, although many reported physical distancing from their partners. Results suggest that youth continue to need access to sexual health education and services during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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