Sex and sexual orientation in the effects of coping strategies on relationship satisfaction

Abstract

Objective: This study examined sex and sexual orientation differences in the context of the effects of coping strategies on relationship satisfaction. Background: The sex and sexual orientation differences on the association between coping strategies and relationship satisfaction are not yet fully understood.Method: The participants were 3,805 Belgian individuals who self-identified as heterosexual (n = 2,024), bisexual (n = 790), or gay/lesbian (n = 991). Results: Results showed that (a) task-oriented and emotion oriented coping was positively and negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, respectively; (b) social diversion-oriented coping was positively associated with relationship satisfaction only among those who identified as heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; and (c) distraction-oriented coping was positively associated with relationship satisfaction only among those identifying as bisexual. Multiple group tests based on sex within each sexual orientation category confirm that (a) a stronger association was observed between task-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction for bisexual men compared to bisexual women; (b) the negative association between emotion-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction is only significant for heterosexual women, and not for bisexual women; and (c) the negative association between distraction-oriented coping and relationship satisfaction is significant for bisexual women, but not for heterosexual women.Conclusion: This study enhances our comprehension of the variations in the utilization of coping strategies and their effect on relationship satisfaction among individuals based on their sex and sexual orientation.