Looking on the bright side: Comparing long-distance relationships and geographically close relationships

Abstract

Long-distance relationships (LDRs) are increasingly popular (McCoy, Hjelmstad, & Stinson, 2013). Approximately 35–40% of college students and 1 million American adults report being in a long-distance relationship at any given time (Belus, Pentel, Cohen, Fischer, & Baucom, 2018; Du Bois et al., 2015; Lee & Pistole, 2012). As relationship and sexual satisfaction is an important aspect of personal well-being and a common reason for seeking therapy, counsellors and college counsellors need to know how to deal with LDRs (Kelmer, Rhoades, Stanley, & Marman, 2013; Lee & Pistole, 2012). Previous research on relationship satisfaction in LDRs compared to geographically close relationships is examined and found to be contradictory. This paper explores the challenges and benefits of LDRs and reviews current theoretical literature and potential therapeutic applications. The paper identifies gaps in current literature and proposes a study analyzing sexual frequency and satisfaction in long-distance relationships compared to geographically close relationships. Understanding more about sexuality in LDRs could help couples cope with and prepare for the unique challenges presented by this type of relationship (Dargie et al., 2015).