The impact of daily stress in both same-sex and different-sex marriages

Source citation:

To explore whether exposure to daily stressors, and one’s emotional reaction to them, differ for men and women in same-sex and different-sex marriages, Garcia et al. utilized data from their Health and Relationships Project (HARP), 2014-2025, which they share via NACDA. HARP, an ongoing longitudinal dyadic study of marital dynamics, health, and well-being, was one of the first studies to include both spouses from long-term, legally married same-sex couples, in addition to different-sex couples. For the analysis described in this paper, Garcia et al. used relationship and health questionnaire responses from 756 married individuals (378 couples) who are HARP participants, as well as 10 days of data from detailed diaries they kept. The diary entries revealed how often each spouse was exposed to nine main types of stressors, and their emotional responses to them. Among their many findings, Garcia et al. showed that women in different-sex marriages were the most emotionally impacted by daily stress, while men in those same marriages were the least affected. Also, being in a supportive marriage uniquely protected same-sex couples from the negative effects of stress. Check here for more publications that use HARP data.

Posted April 9, 2026

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