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

Sara Mernitz , University of Texas at Austin
Amanda Pollitt, University of Texas at Austin
Debra J. Umberson, University of Texas at Austin

The objective of this proposal is to examine how multiple dimensions of marital quality differ between same- and different-sex married couples, and how each of these dimensions is independently associated with mental health. We analyze dyadic data from 295 same-sex married couples and 165 different-sex married couples. Descriptive results indicate that same-sex couples reported higher marital quality, measured by both positive (e.g. support) and negative (e.g. strain) dimensions, than different-sex couples. Mixed effects multilevel regression models indicate that positive dimensions of marital quality are associated with fewer depressive symptoms and negative dimensions of marital quality are associated with more depressive symptoms. These associations are similar for both same-sex and different-sex couples.

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 Presented in Session 77. Marital Relationships and Well-being