Social Support, Coming Out, and Relationship Satisfaction in Lesbian Couples

SUMMARY

The present study investigated relations among lesbians' disclosure of their sexual orientation, positive and negative emotionality, and relationship satisfaction. The 305 respondents, who were currently in a committed relationship with one woman or seriously dating one woman, responded to a questionnaire assessing level of self-disclosure, sources of social support, self-esteem, positive affectivity, and anxiety. Women who more widely disclosed their sexual orientation expressed a greater degree of satisfaction with their relationships. Path analyses revealed that the discrepancy between partners' level of self-disclosure had a direct effect on relationship satisfaction, suggesting that the greater the discrepancy, the lower the relationship satisfaction. However, disclosure of sexual orientation had an indirect effect on relationship satisfaction, as it affected social support.

Key Words:

• Social support
• coming out
• lesbian couples
• relationship satisfaction