‘You never cared about me’: An analysis of ethnic minority men’s coping mechanisms and risk factors after a relationship breakdown

Abstract

Relationship breakdown is one of the most traumatic and stressful life events that an individual can experience. This study aims to analyse the impact of relationship breakdown on ethnic minority men, focusing on their coping strategies and risk factors. Despite common misconceptions, ethnic minority men often experience significant emotional distress following relationship breakdown. However, there is limited research in this area. This study uses a correlation and regression analysis to identify the relationship between ethnic background and perceived social support, emotional distress, emotional approach and rebound relationships, and if ethnic background is a predictor for these variables. The study also assessed the effectiveness of rebound relationships, as coping mechanisms. A questionnaire was administered to 141 participants, revealing a significant negative correlation between ethnic background and perceived social support. The regression analysis showed that ethnic background had a minimal and statistically insignificant impact on the variables studied. Additionally, 66% of participants had never engaged in rebound relationships. Overall, this research highlights that ethnic minority men tend to receive less social support after a relationship breakdown, and rebound relationships are not effective coping mechanisms. Results are considered further in relation to their application to the quality of relationships, including those that may have ‘toxic’ components (e.g., abuse).