Perceptions of the effects of celiac disease on romantic relationships among individuals with celiac disease

Abstract

Individuals (N = 109) with biopsy-proven celiac disease completed a survey exploring their perceptions of their illness’s impact on their romantic relationships. Whether they met their partners before or after diagnosis, participants perceived the disease to bear modest impact on their relationships with more pronounced positive effects than negative effects. Moreover, controlling for attachment anxiety and avoidance and relationship quality, neither perceptions of the disease’s broader effects on their lives nor perceptions of their partner’s responsiveness consistently predicted their appraisals of its effects on their relationships. Our findings suggest that affected individuals’ appraisals of the disease’s impact on their romantic relationships may be shaped in part by attachment anxiety and relationship quality.