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Silveira GBD, Roggia GB, Rigue J, Kruel CS. Male homoparenting and its challenges: an integrative literature review. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2024; 29:e19382023. [PMID: 38655965 DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232024294.19382023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aims to elucidate the challenges faced in the exercise of male homoparenting, through an integrative literature review. Following PRISMA guidelines, empirical studies from the last 22 years were analyzed, independently collected by four researchers using the PubMed and APA PsychNet databases, with the descriptors "Homosexuality, Male" and "Father". The results reveal the unique and complex reality faced by homosexual men in the parental context. While some studies highlight significant challenges, such as stigmas and social prejudices, others do not observe such difficulties. The decision to become a father among homosexual men is influenced by factors specific to their reality, in a context where parenthood is not widely accepted. The findings of this study emphasize the need to understand the complex interactions among individual, social, and cultural factors in male homoparenting. In summary, this study highlights the need for inclusive and diversity-sensitive approaches to support family well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joselaine Rigue
- Universidade Franciscana. R. dos Andradas 1614, Centro. 97010-032 Santa Maria RS Brasil.
| | - Cristina Saling Kruel
- Universidade Franciscana. R. dos Andradas 1614, Centro. 97010-032 Santa Maria RS Brasil.
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2
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Sattler FA, Nater UM, Mewes R. Gay men's stress response to a general and a specific social stressor. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1325-1333. [PMID: 34313842 PMCID: PMC8423632 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Gay men show altered psychobiological stress responses and exhibit a higher prevalence of mental disorders than their heterosexual counterparts. Both of these findings are likely due to gay-specific discrimination. Since it has not yet been determined whether gay-specific stress is more noxious than general stress, we tested whether gay men react more strongly to gay-specific socially stressful stimuli than to general socially stressful stimuli. N = 33 self-identified gay men (mean = 26.12 years of age, SD = 5.89), 63.6% of whom were in a relationship with a man, participated in an experimental within-group study, in which they were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as well as a gay-specific TSST in a randomized order. Salivary cortisol and testosterone were assessed at five time points during the laboratory tests and perceived stress was assessed at four time points. According to psychobiological and perceived stress indices, the participants reacted similarly to a gay-specific and general social stressor. There were no significant differences in the outcomes, either when looking at pre-post-test differences or when comparing the overall stress responses. Given that the response to a gay-specific social stressor was equally pronounced as the one to a general social stressor, programs aiming to decrease minority stress but overlooking general stress are likely to yield only partial improvements in gay men's mental health. Instead, we suggest helping gay men cope with both forms of stress through building social support, assertiveness, and mindfulness skills, as well as decreasing emotional dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A Sattler
- Department of Psychology, Clinic for Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Klinik am Homberg, Hans-Georg-Weg 2, 34537, Bad Wildungen, Germany
| | - Urs M Nater
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Wien, Austria.,Research Platform 'The Stress of Life (SOLE)', University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Wien, Austria
| | - Ricarda Mewes
- Research Platform 'The Stress of Life (SOLE)', University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Wien, Austria. .,Outpatient Unit for Research, Teaching and Practice, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Renngasse 6-8, 1010, Wien, Austria.
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The potential role of cortisol as a biomarker of physiological interdependence in romantic couples: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104834. [PMID: 32919209 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Significant evidence supports the link between relationships and health including the potential for interpartner regulation of intrapersonal physical and mental homeostasis. Physiological interdependence is proposed as a term to summarize the adaptive process in which partners demonstrate physiological contagion that evolves with repetition to create a new homeostatic state regulating individual physiological functioning. Through a systematic review consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P), the present study reviewed the literature examining the interdependent role of diurnal cortisol with romantic couples. The literature search yielded thirteen articles that included statistical modeling testing interdependence between partners in a couple and at the individual level. Five themes emerged from the literature including cortisol synchrony, cortisol and health, cortisol and emotions, cortisol and internal relationship factors, and cortisol and factors external to the romantic relationship. Findings suggest a potential for romantic partners to regulate one another's emotional and physiological states, but this process may not be present in both partners. More research is needed to substantiate a regulatory role as the current literature supports correlations.
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Gibb JK, DuBois LZ, Williams S, McKerracher L, Juster RP, Fields J. Sexual and gender minority health vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 health crisis. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 32:e23499. [PMID: 32910838 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James K Gibb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - L Zachary DuBois
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Sarah Williams
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luseadra McKerracher
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jessica Fields
- Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Chin K, Chopik WJ, Wardecker BM, LaBelle OP, Moors AC, Edelstein RS. Longitudinal associations between prenatal testosterone and postpartum outcomes in a sample of first-time expectant lesbian couples. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104810. [PMID: 32593685 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Although increasing numbers of gay and lesbian individuals ultimately become parents, the vast majority of research on the transition to parenthood focuses exclusively on heterosexual samples. Even less is known about the physiological implications of this major life transition among those who identify as sexual minorities. The present study begins to redress these gaps in the literature by assessing prospective links between prenatal testosterone, a steroid hormone that is negatively associated with nurturance and caregiving, and postpartum outcomes in a sample of 25 first-time expectant lesbian couples (N = 50 individuals). Consistent with prior work in heterosexual samples, which suggests that lower testosterone promotes both partnering and parenting, we found that, in both partners, lower testosterone during the prenatal period predicted better romantic relationship and parenting outcomes at three-months postpartum (e.g., higher relationship quality, more time spent doing baby care). There was also evidence for dyadic associations; for instance, birth mothers reported more overprotective behavior, and non-birth mothers reported greater commitment, when their female partners had lower testosterone. Together, our findings contribute important new knowledge about the functionality of testosterone in close relationships contexts, including some of the first evidence among sexual minorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristi Chin
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - William J Chopik
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | | | - Onawa P LaBelle
- Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Amy C Moors
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Robin S Edelstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Gray PB, Straftis AA, Bird BM, McHale TS, Zilioli S. Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104530. [PMID: 31085183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories. We conduct a citation analysis, drawing upon 400 Google Scholar citations in the human literature to identify patterns in this body of scholarship. We cover key factors, such as context and personality traits, that help explain variable testosterone responses such as winning/losing to adult competitive behavior. Findings from studies on courtship and sexual behavior indicate some variation in testosterone responses depending on factors such as motivation. A large body of research indicates that male testosterone levels are often lower in contexts of long-term committed partnerships and nurturant fathering and aligned with variation in male mating and parenting effort. As the Challenge Hypothesis is extended across the life course, DHEA and androstenedione (rather than testosterone) appear more responsive to juvenile male competitive behavior, and during reproductive senescence, baseline male testosterone levels decrease just as male life history allocations show decreased mating effort. We discuss how research on testosterone administration, particularly in older men, provides causal insight into effects of testosterone in humans, and how this "natural experiment" can be viewed in light of the Challenge Hypothesis. We synthesize central concepts and findings, such as an expanded array of costs of testosterone that inform life history tradeoffs between maintenance and reproductive effort, and we conclude with directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America.
| | - Alex A Straftis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, United States of America
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, United States of America.
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Meijer WM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Challenging the challenge hypothesis on testosterone in fathers: Limited meta-analytic support. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 110:104435. [PMID: 31541914 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges' g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges' g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges' g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males' parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn M Meijer
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Rosenbaum S, Gettler LT. With a little help from her friends (and family) part I: the ecology and evolution of non-maternal care in mammals. Physiol Behav 2019; 193:1-11. [PMID: 29933836 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In the class Mammalia, most young are cared for exclusively by their mothers. In species where mothers receive help, however, non-maternal caregivers may play a crucial role in development and life history trajectories. In turn, recipients of such care may have important impacts on caregivers of all types. In Part I of this overview, we briefly review the evolutionary barriers to widespread non-maternal care in mammals, and explain why the exceptions are of particular theoretical importance. We also summarize the current understanding of the selective forces leading to non-maternal care, and the taxa and types of caretakers amongst which it occurs. Finally, we argue for a fresh look at the categorization schemes that have traditionally been used to separate various types of mammalian non-maternal caregivers. This two-part introduction is aimed at scientists from multiple disciplines who study diverse organismal systems. It draws from the social and biological sciences literatures to provide an overview of this special issue of Physiology and Behavior's suite of methodological offerings and theoretical underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States; The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
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Martin MA. Biological Anthropology in 2018: Grounded in Theory, Questioning Contexts, Embracing Innovation. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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