Abstracts Health Sciences

INFIDELITY AND THE BIOECOLOGICAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR MENTAL HEALTH: A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION

by Lindy Williams

Infidelity is an important topic of research due to the profound effects on the individual experiencing the trauma. Through the lens of bioecological systems and betrayal trauma, the impact of infidelity on mental health is examined in relation to the most proximal systems to an individual which include personality traits such as agreeableness and neuroticism as well as support from friends, family, and community. This research explores the hypotheses that more support leads to more positive mental health outcomes after the experience of infidelity and the possibility that support from friends, family, and community may buffer specific personality traits and lead to more positive mental health outcomes. After modeling men and women separately in relation to both positive and mental health outcomes, minimal support is provided for these hypotheses through descriptive statistics, ANOVA tests, and hierarchical models. However, there is some evidence of community support predicting more positive mental health outcomes for men and more research is necessary to further understand the possible link between neuroticism and mental health outcomes for women.