Relationship adjustment and quality among sexual minority persons with disabilities.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Little is known about romantic relationship adjustment or perceptions of relationship quality (e.g., commitment and trust) among sexual minority persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore if collective self-esteem, disability adjustment, attachment styles, and cultural humility served as unique correlates and predictors of relationship adjustment and relationship quality among sexual minority persons (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) with disabilities.

METHOD

Ninety-two participants identifying as sexual minority persons living with a variety of disabilities (e.g., physical, psychiatric, medical, neurological), and who were partnered with sexual minority persons not living with a disability, were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete an electronic questionnaire.

RESULTS

Responses of 92 participants were analyzed using bivariate correlations and 3 separate blockwise hierarchical regression models. To varying degrees, collective self-esteem, attachment styles, and cultural humility served as significant correlates and predictors of dyadic adjustment, commitment, and trust.

IMPLICATIONS

Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed. Rehabilitation psychologists and other health care providers are encouraged to consider collective self-esteem, attachment styles, and cultural humility when working with sexual minority persons with disabilities in romantic relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).