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Symposia

Couples / Close Relationships

Intimate Relationship Well-Being in Context: Measurement, Meaning, and Multicultural Considerations to Enhance Inclusive Practices

3 - (SYM 41) Alcohol Use After IPV Victimization Among Sexual Minority Young Adults: The Role of Sexual Minority Stress

Saturday, November 22, 2025
10:39 AM - 10:57 AM CST
Location: Celestin F, Level 3
Keywords: Couples / Close Relationships, Translational Research, Culture
Recommended Readings: Parsons, A., Jones, S. C., Teves, J. B., Petty, K. H., & Christensen, A. (2024). The importance of highlighting culturally relevant factors in the DEEP analysis when using IBCT with African American couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 50(4), 915-932.,   West, A. L., Naeimi, H., Di Bartolomeo, A. A., Yampolsky, M., & Muise, A. (2024). Growing together through our cultural differences: Self-expansion in intercultural romantic relationships. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 50(2), 182-199.,   McGorray, E. L., Emery, L. F., Garr-Schultz, A., & Finkel, E. J. (2023). “Mostly White, heterosexual couples”: Examining demographic diversity and reporting practices in relationship science research samples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125(2), 316.,   ,  
Abstract Body

Sexual minority individuals are at high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV; psychological, physical, sexual) victimization and heavy alcohol use relative. Sexual minority individuals experience several forms of sexual minority stress (SMS; e.g., discrimination, harassment, stigma) that may exacerbate IPV-related stress to enhance risk for alcohol use. This pilot study examined the moderating role of daily SMS in the relationship between IPV victimization and same- and next-day alcohol use among multigender-attracted individuals (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, demisexual) and their partners with minoritized sexual identities. We hypothesized that IPV victimization would positively associate with odds of subsequent alcohol use (# drinks, any drinking), and that greater exposure to daily SMS would strengthen this association.

Eligibility: ≥1 partner must identify as multigender-attracted, 18-30 years old, with at least weekly drinking. Heterosexual partners were not included in these analyses because none reported daily SMS. Participants (N=43 individuals) completed 60 consecutive days of surveys on alcohol use, IPV, and SMS. Participants were primarily white (74.4%), bisexual (46.5%) women (51.2%).

All participants consumed alcohol at least once during the study. There were 159 days of SMS across 29 individuals. To account for the correlated outcomes, we included a random intercept and slope for participant and a random intercept for couple. Daily SMS did not moderate the association between IPV victimization and subsequent alcohol use. A Poisson regression model showed a main effect: experiencing daily SMS associated with an increased rate of drinking by 2.2 times (exp=.78, p < .001). A logistic model examining any drinking post-IPV showed odds of drinking increased by 2.16 times after experiencing SMS (exp=.77, p < .001). With daily SMS in the model, IPV victimization did not associate with odds of subsequent drinking.

Findings support the need for inclusive couple-level interventions that help sexual minority couples manage daily SMS. Community-level interventions that target SMS towards sexual minority individuals may have implications for reducing alcohol use.