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After Obergefell: Legally Married Status Is Associated With Lower Depressive Symptoms Among Cisgender Sexual Minority
Nicholas S Perry1, Daphne Y Liu1, Dominique J Harlan1
1Department of Psychology, University of Denver.
Abstract:
Married heterosexual couples evidence better mental health compared to unmarried couples, yet research among same-sex couples has lagged because of the history of legal same-sex marriage in the United States. The current study investigated whether marital status was associated with depression among sexual minority couples. This study used cross-sectional data from a sample of cisgender, sexual minority couples collected across the United States (N = 60 couples) from 2017 to 2018, after full legal marriage recognition in 2015. Multilevel models tested if married couples, relative to unmarried couples, reported lower depressive symptoms. Subsequent models probed this association by controlling for relationship qualities and demographic characteristics. The study also tested if married couples significantly differed from unmarried couples on two risk factors for depression: childhood sexual abuse and hazardous alcohol use. Married couples reported significantly lower depressive symptoms, and this finding was robust to controlling for a range of relationship qualities, including length, satisfaction, and commitment, and demographic characteristics. Controlling for income, the association between marital status and depression was not significant. There were no significant differences between married and unmarried couples in childhood sexual abuse or hazardous alcohol use. Being legally married was associated with lower depression in the current era of national same-sex marriage legalization. Married sexual minority couples did not report lower risks for depression but did report higher income than unmarried couples. Future research is needed to understand the temporality of associations between mental health and marital status and mechanisms of this effect.
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