Minority Stress and Relationship Satisfaction Among Gay and Bisexual Men
For gay and bisexual men, relationship status and relationship satisfaction have been linked to longevity, positive mental health, and life satisfaction. Factors that contribute to relationship satisfaction among gay and bisexual men were examined within the framework of Meyer’s (2003) minority stress model. Ninety-three gay, bisexual, and pansexual men who ranged in age from 18 to 60 years old (M = 32.14, SD = 10.01) were recruited in person and through Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete measures related to minority identity processes, identity characteristics, and relationship satisfaction. Most men were White (80.6%) with a high education level (58% had completed at least a bachelor’s degree). Multiple linear regression results were significant and indicated that 4 variables (identity concealment, uncertainty, centrality, and affirmation) explained about 40% of the variance in relationship satisfaction, F(6, 86) = 9.42, p ≤ .001 Findings suggest that Meyer’s model can be extended from explaining mental health to understanding relationship satisfaction. Results also draw attention to the role of identity affirmation and identity centrality, a somewhat unique contribution to this area of inquiry.