Samantha L Tornello
Biographic Data
| ID | 143995 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Samantha L Tornello |
| GIVEN NAMES | Samantha L |
| FAMILY NAME | Tornello |
| SIGNATURE | TORNELLO S L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Virginia |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1387-6314 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 30 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 73 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 30 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Profiles of parental response, intersectional microaggressions, and mental health problems among sexual and gender minority youth of color
Sexual and gender minority youth of color (SGM YOC) face compounded mental health disparities due to oppression experienced at the intersection of racism, cissexism, and heterosexism. Parental responses to youth's sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are critical in shaping youth mental health outcomes, yet prior research has often simplified these responses into a unidimensional acceptance–rejection continuum. Using data from the 2022 L…
“It Is in the Air”
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention that dramatically lowers one’s risk of acquiring HIV. However, PrEP uptake has been slow among young-adult men who have sex with men (YMSM) – one group highly vulnerable to HIV infection in the US. Drawing from health communication scholarship on information seeking and scanning, as well as on concepts from the health belief model, we convened individual interviews and focus groups with…
Parenting Stress and Couple Relationship Quality Among Transgender and Nonbinary Parents
A substantial population of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals is becoming parents. However, research on how TNB parents navigate parenthood, family dynamics, and couple functioning remains limited. This study investigated the association between parenting stress and relationship quality and tested the mediating role of discrepancy in the division of childcare labor (i.e., satisfaction with the current allocation of childrearing tasks) a…
Sociopolitical Contexts of Adoption for Same-gender Couples and Single LGBTQ+ Parents in the United States of America and Europe
Linking intradyad coparenting stressor and extradyad heterosexist discrimination stressor with Chinese sexual minority mothers’ couple relationship quality
Daily implementation of health‐protective behaviors and family life during the early months of the Covid ‐19 pandemic
The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic has necessitated the use of health‐protective behaviors (HPB), such as social distancing, staying at home, frequent handwashing, and wearing facemasks to mitigate the transmission of disease. An investigation of interpersonal costs associated with the use of HPB can help inform strategies to promote their sustained implementation. This study examined the daily associations between the implementation of …
Sexual Minority Mothers
For all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, transition to parenthood often increases stress, although, according to minority stress theory (MST), same-sex couples often experience additional stressors specifically related to their sexual orientation. In this study of 34 same-sex female couples (68 sexual minority mothers) who conceived their children with the use of sperm donation, we explored the intrapersonal and interpersonal influences…
Building long‐term family resilience through universal prevention
As the COVID‐19 pandemic has been highly stressful for parents and children, it is clear that strategies that promote long‐term family resilience are needed to protect families in future crises. One such strategy, the Family Foundations program, is focused on promoting supportive coparenting at the transition to parenthood. In a randomized trial, we tested the long‐term intervention effects of Family Foundations on parent, child, and family well‐…
Impact of the Covid‐19 Pandemic on Parent, Child, and Family Functioning
To quantify the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and public health interventions on parent and child mental health and family relationships, we examined change in individual and family functioning in a sample of parents enrolled in a prevention trial; we examined change before the pandemic (2017–2019) when children were an average of 7 years old to the first months after the imposition of widespread public health interventions in the United States…
The Prospective Co-Parenting Relationship Scale (PCRS) for Sexual Minority and Heterosexual People
The coparenting relationship begins with a process of planning and negotiation about having children. Available psychological instruments have not been adapted to sexual minority people, which compromises their ecological validity. This mixed method study aimed to adapt and validate a prospective version of the Co-Parenting Relationship Scale in a Portuguese sample of sexual minority and heterosexual adults who did not have children and who were …
Relationship functioning of sexual minority people of color
Gender variations, generational effects, and mental health of transgender people in relation to timing and status of gender identity milestones
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people commonly report the following gender identity milestones: feeling different about their gender than expectations for their sex assigned at birth, identifying as TGD, living in their affirmed gender, and, for some, accessing gender-affirming medical care. We explored the average ages of reaching these milestones and variations across gender groups and generational cohorts. We also examined how gender gro…
Barriers to adoption and foster care and openness to child characteristics among transgender adults
Transgender and gender non-binary parents’ pathways to parenthood
Do actions speak louder than words
A large body of research documents sexual prejudice towards sexual minority people, but less is known about perceptions of and attitudes towards same-sex behaviours that are not tied to self-identified sexual identities. This gap in the literature is alarming given the growing number of people who identify outside of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and heterosexual category labels. In the current study, 356 participants were randomly assigned to ev…
Sexual minority women and parenthood
Many individuals experience shifts in their friendship networks after becoming parents. The current study investigated the narratives of how a sample of sixty-six sexual minority women, most of whom do not yet have children but who expect to be parents in the future, perceive the changes in friendship networks following becoming parents. A thematic analysis uncovered three themes: (1) general expectations surrounding future parenthood and friends…
Envisioning future parenthood among bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women
For many individuals, becoming a parent is an important milestone. The current study examined attitudes and beliefs about parenting among a sample of 196 self-identified bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women. Results showed no differences by sexual orientation for women’s desires and intentions to have children, their idealization of parenthood, and perceptions of their parental self-efficacy (i.e., their ability to care for a child). In cont…
Adult Children of Gay Fathers
According to family systems theory, parent-child relationships are an important aspect of individual wellbeing. This study explored associations among parental disclosure, parent-child relationships, and wellbeing among 84 adult children with gay fathers. We explored associations between the adult children's wellbeing and the children's ages at sexual orientation disclosure, geographic distance, relationship quality, and closeness with their fath…
Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Couples in the Netherlands
Using a national sample of Dutch ( N = 5,854) individuals in same-sex and mixed-sex relationships we explored the associations between relationship dynamics, both positive (partner support) and negative (conflict), and life satisfaction. We found that individuals in same-sex relationships reported lower life satisfaction compared with their peers in mixed-sex relationships but there were no differences in the amount of partner support or level of…
Stability of Self-Reported Same-Sex and Both-Sex Attraction from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Timing of Parenthood and Experiences of Gay Fathers
How have men become gay fathers and how have their decisions about parenthood shaped their experiences? In this study of 739 gay fathers from across the United States, we explored generational changes in timing of parenthood and its association with identity development, sexual orientation disclosure, and social support. In this sample, most men over 50 years of age, but only a minority of younger men, reported that they had fathered children in …
Division of Labor and Relationship Quality among Male Same-Sex Couples Who Became Fathers via Surrogacy
Little is known about the family lives of male same-sex couples who become fathers via surrogacy. In a study of 52 male same-sex couples who became parents through surrogacy, we examined couples’ reported division of unpaid labor, relationship quality, and the associations between these two factors. We found these men reported dividing both household and child care labor in an egalitarian manner. They also reported wanting this to be the case. Bi…
Division of labor among gay fathers
Sexual Orientation and Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Young Women in the United States
Sexual Identity, Partner Gender, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Girls in the United States
Objectives. We examined associations between adolescent girls’ sexual identity and the gender of their sexual partners, on one hand, and their reports of sexual health behaviors and reproductive health outcomes, on the other. Methods. We analyzed weighted data from pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (2005 and 2007) representative of 13 US jurisdictions, focusing on sexually experienced girls in 8th through 12th grade (weighted n = 6879.56). We us…
Gender variations, generational effects, and mental health of transgender people in relation to timing and status of gender identity milestones
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people commonly report the following gender identity milestones: feeling different about their gender than expectations for their sex assigned at birth, identifying as TGD, living in their affirmed gender, and, for some, accessing gender-affirming medical care. We explored the average ages of reaching these milestones and variations across gender groups and generational cohorts. We also examined how gender gro…
Stability of Self-Reported Same-Sex and Both-Sex Attraction from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Division of labor among gay fathers
Overnight Custody Arrangements, Attachment, and Adjustment Among Very Young Children
Large numbers of infants and toddlers have parents who live apart due to separation, divorce, or nonmarital/noncohabiting childbearing, yet this important topic, especially the controversial issue of frequent overnights with nonresidential parents, is understudied. The authors analyzed data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal investigation of children born to primarily low-income, racial/ethnic minority parents tha…
Sexual Identity, Partner Gender, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Girls in the United States
Objectives. We examined associations between adolescent girls’ sexual identity and the gender of their sexual partners, on one hand, and their reports of sexual health behaviors and reproductive health outcomes, on the other. Methods. We analyzed weighted data from pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (2005 and 2007) representative of 13 US jurisdictions, focusing on sexually experienced girls in 8th through 12th grade (weighted n = 6879.56). We us…
Rejoinder to Millar and Kruk (2014)
Social Climate for Sexual Minorities Predicts Well-Being Among Heterosexual Offspring of Lesbian and Gay Parents
Barriers to adoption and foster care and openness to child characteristics among transgender adults
Transgender and gender non-binary parents’ pathways to parenthood
Envisioning future parenthood among bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women
For many individuals, becoming a parent is an important milestone. The current study examined attitudes and beliefs about parenting among a sample of 196 self-identified bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women. Results showed no differences by sexual orientation for women’s desires and intentions to have children, their idealization of parenthood, and perceptions of their parental self-efficacy (i.e., their ability to care for a child). In cont…
Adult Children of Gay Fathers
According to family systems theory, parent-child relationships are an important aspect of individual wellbeing. This study explored associations among parental disclosure, parent-child relationships, and wellbeing among 84 adult children with gay fathers. We explored associations between the adult children's wellbeing and the children's ages at sexual orientation disclosure, geographic distance, relationship quality, and closeness with their fath…
Relationship functioning of sexual minority people of color
Sexual minority women and parenthood
Many individuals experience shifts in their friendship networks after becoming parents. The current study investigated the narratives of how a sample of sixty-six sexual minority women, most of whom do not yet have children but who expect to be parents in the future, perceive the changes in friendship networks following becoming parents. A thematic analysis uncovered three themes: (1) general expectations surrounding future parenthood and friends…
Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Couples in the Netherlands
Using a national sample of Dutch ( N = 5,854) individuals in same-sex and mixed-sex relationships we explored the associations between relationship dynamics, both positive (partner support) and negative (conflict), and life satisfaction. We found that individuals in same-sex relationships reported lower life satisfaction compared with their peers in mixed-sex relationships but there were no differences in the amount of partner support or level of…
Sexual Minority Mothers
For all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, transition to parenthood often increases stress, although, according to minority stress theory (MST), same-sex couples often experience additional stressors specifically related to their sexual orientation. In this study of 34 same-sex female couples (68 sexual minority mothers) who conceived their children with the use of sperm donation, we explored the intrapersonal and interpersonal influences…
Do actions speak louder than words
A large body of research documents sexual prejudice towards sexual minority people, but less is known about perceptions of and attitudes towards same-sex behaviours that are not tied to self-identified sexual identities. This gap in the literature is alarming given the growing number of people who identify outside of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and heterosexual category labels. In the current study, 356 participants were randomly assigned to ev…
Gay Fathers in Mixed-Orientation Relationships
Many gay men have become parents in the context of heterosexual relationships; ultimately, some separate from female partners while others stay with them. In this study, we compared the experiences of 110 formerly married gay fathers who were currently in relationships with men, 44 formerly married gay fathers who were currently single, and 14 gay fathers who remained married to women. In an Internet survey, we examined relationship satisfaction,…
Social Climate for Sexual Minorities Predicts Well-Being Among Heterosexual Offspring of Lesbian and Gay Parents
Relationship Quality among Lesbian Mothers in Planned Families
What factors are associated with relationship quality among lesbian mothers in planned families? The purpose of this Internet-based study was to examine correlates of relationship quality among same-sex female couples with children. Participants in this cross-sectional study included 134 mothers who self-identified as lesbian and who currently reside in the United States. All participants were in a committed relationship with another woman, had c…
Overnight Custody Arrangements, Attachment, and Adjustment Among Very Young Children
Large numbers of infants and toddlers have parents who live apart due to separation, divorce, or nonmarital/noncohabiting childbearing, yet this important topic, especially the controversial issue of frequent overnights with nonresidential parents, is understudied. The authors analyzed data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal investigation of children born to primarily low-income, racial/ethnic minority parents tha…
Sexual Orientation and Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Young Women in the United States
Sexual Identity, Partner Gender, and Sexual Health Among Adolescent Girls in the United States
Objectives. We examined associations between adolescent girls’ sexual identity and the gender of their sexual partners, on one hand, and their reports of sexual health behaviors and reproductive health outcomes, on the other. Methods. We analyzed weighted data from pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (2005 and 2007) representative of 13 US jurisdictions, focusing on sexually experienced girls in 8th through 12th grade (weighted n = 6879.56). We us…
Rejoinder to Millar and Kruk (2014)
Timing of Parenthood and Experiences of Gay Fathers
How have men become gay fathers and how have their decisions about parenthood shaped their experiences? In this study of 739 gay fathers from across the United States, we explored generational changes in timing of parenthood and its association with identity development, sexual orientation disclosure, and social support. In this sample, most men over 50 years of age, but only a minority of younger men, reported that they had fathered children in …
Division of Labor and Relationship Quality among Male Same-Sex Couples Who Became Fathers via Surrogacy
Little is known about the family lives of male same-sex couples who become fathers via surrogacy. In a study of 52 male same-sex couples who became parents through surrogacy, we examined couples’ reported division of unpaid labor, relationship quality, and the associations between these two factors. We found these men reported dividing both household and child care labor in an egalitarian manner. They also reported wanting this to be the case. Bi…
Division of labor among gay fathers
Stability of Self-Reported Same-Sex and Both-Sex Attraction from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Envisioning future parenthood among bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women
For many individuals, becoming a parent is an important milestone. The current study examined attitudes and beliefs about parenting among a sample of 196 self-identified bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women. Results showed no differences by sexual orientation for women’s desires and intentions to have children, their idealization of parenthood, and perceptions of their parental self-efficacy (i.e., their ability to care for a child). In cont…
Adult Children of Gay Fathers
According to family systems theory, parent-child relationships are an important aspect of individual wellbeing. This study explored associations among parental disclosure, parent-child relationships, and wellbeing among 84 adult children with gay fathers. We explored associations between the adult children's wellbeing and the children's ages at sexual orientation disclosure, geographic distance, relationship quality, and closeness with their fath…
Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Couples in the Netherlands
Using a national sample of Dutch ( N = 5,854) individuals in same-sex and mixed-sex relationships we explored the associations between relationship dynamics, both positive (partner support) and negative (conflict), and life satisfaction. We found that individuals in same-sex relationships reported lower life satisfaction compared with their peers in mixed-sex relationships but there were no differences in the amount of partner support or level of…
Transgender and gender non-binary parents’ pathways to parenthood
Do actions speak louder than words
A large body of research documents sexual prejudice towards sexual minority people, but less is known about perceptions of and attitudes towards same-sex behaviours that are not tied to self-identified sexual identities. This gap in the literature is alarming given the growing number of people who identify outside of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and heterosexual category labels. In the current study, 356 participants were randomly assigned to ev…
Sexual minority women and parenthood
Many individuals experience shifts in their friendship networks after becoming parents. The current study investigated the narratives of how a sample of sixty-six sexual minority women, most of whom do not yet have children but who expect to be parents in the future, perceive the changes in friendship networks following becoming parents. A thematic analysis uncovered three themes: (1) general expectations surrounding future parenthood and friends…
Barriers to adoption and foster care and openness to child characteristics among transgender adults
Relationship functioning of sexual minority people of color
Gender variations, generational effects, and mental health of transgender people in relation to timing and status of gender identity milestones
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people commonly report the following gender identity milestones: feeling different about their gender than expectations for their sex assigned at birth, identifying as TGD, living in their affirmed gender, and, for some, accessing gender-affirming medical care. We explored the average ages of reaching these milestones and variations across gender groups and generational cohorts. We also examined how gender gro…
Building long‐term family resilience through universal prevention
As the COVID‐19 pandemic has been highly stressful for parents and children, it is clear that strategies that promote long‐term family resilience are needed to protect families in future crises. One such strategy, the Family Foundations program, is focused on promoting supportive coparenting at the transition to parenthood. In a randomized trial, we tested the long‐term intervention effects of Family Foundations on parent, child, and family well‐…
Impact of the Covid‐19 Pandemic on Parent, Child, and Family Functioning
To quantify the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and public health interventions on parent and child mental health and family relationships, we examined change in individual and family functioning in a sample of parents enrolled in a prevention trial; we examined change before the pandemic (2017–2019) when children were an average of 7 years old to the first months after the imposition of widespread public health interventions in the United States…
The Prospective Co-Parenting Relationship Scale (PCRS) for Sexual Minority and Heterosexual People
The coparenting relationship begins with a process of planning and negotiation about having children. Available psychological instruments have not been adapted to sexual minority people, which compromises their ecological validity. This mixed method study aimed to adapt and validate a prospective version of the Co-Parenting Relationship Scale in a Portuguese sample of sexual minority and heterosexual adults who did not have children and who were …
Daily implementation of health‐protective behaviors and family life during the early months of the Covid ‐19 pandemic
The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic has necessitated the use of health‐protective behaviors (HPB), such as social distancing, staying at home, frequent handwashing, and wearing facemasks to mitigate the transmission of disease. An investigation of interpersonal costs associated with the use of HPB can help inform strategies to promote their sustained implementation. This study examined the daily associations between the implementation of …
Sexual Minority Mothers
For all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, transition to parenthood often increases stress, although, according to minority stress theory (MST), same-sex couples often experience additional stressors specifically related to their sexual orientation. In this study of 34 same-sex female couples (68 sexual minority mothers) who conceived their children with the use of sperm donation, we explored the intrapersonal and interpersonal influences…
Psychology (27 works) · Developmental psychology (25 works) · Social Psychology (24 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (18 works) · Reproductive Health and Technologies (18 works) · Sexual orientation (16 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Clinical Psychology (11 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (11 works) · Sexual minority (11 works)