A recent analysis article published by Psychology Today and authored by Tyrel J. Starks examined recent research surrounding the trends of drug use in relationships. The analysis reveals several trends, examining drug use in the LGBTQ+ community and new studies evaluating patterns of use among LGBTQ+ individuals in relationships.
According to the results of some studies, LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to use drugs than heterosexual individuals. Specifically, one survey showed that cisgender women who identified as bisexual and lesbian have significantly higher rates of cannabis use and illicit drug use compared to heterosexual women. Similarly, gay and bisexual cisgender men also demonstrated significantly increased rates of cannabis use and illicit drug use compared to heterosexual men. In addition, survey data also showed that transgender and non-binary individuals reported higher rates of cannabis and illicit drug use compared to both cisgender heterosexual and sexual minority individuals.
Moreover, other studies have shown that heterosexual individuals in committed relationships who are married or cohabitating were less likely to engage in drug use compared to single people. However, among the sexual minority participants, relationship status was not associated with drug use, with studies showing that individuals in relationships were as likely to use drugs as those who were single. Furthermore, research shows that people in relationships with monogamous agreements are less likely to use illicit drugs; however, these findings do not extend to cannabis use.
Recent findings also show that relationship partners tend to use similar drugs. “Use among sexual minority men in relationships suggest that similarity of drug use is common, not exceptional, and [partners] who have agreed to be monogamous may be even more similar in their use of drugs than those who have agreed to be non-monogamous,” wrote Starks in his analysis.
Finally, research studies have also shown that partners’ drug use becomes more similar as relationship quality increases. For instance, among men who believed their partner did not use cannabis or illicit drugs, relationship quality was significantly and negatively associated with using these drugs. In contrast, people in higher-quality relationships were less likely to use drugs if they believed their partner did not use drugs either.
“Partnering with someone who makes very different choices about drug use brings some unique challenges,” concludes Starks. “[If] you find yourself in a relationship with someone who feels very differently about drug use, you should anticipate that you may need to discuss how the two of you are going to make that work… If you decide to engage a counselor in substance use treatment along with your partner, make sure that the counselor is using a treatment that matches what is going on in your relationship.”
