How are Romantic Partners Discussed in the Literature on Incarceration?

Incarceration brings about difficulty sustaining relationships and has been found to have lasting impacts that could strengthen or weaken relationship bonds. As a result, this literature review examined how romantic partners are discussed in literature to understand and further research that investigates mitigating the negative impacts of incarceration on romantic relationships. Researchers accessed peer-reviewed journal articles between 2013 and 2017 through PsychoINFO in January 2023. A total of 250 unduplicated articles were identified through the search, and only eight articles met the criteria for inclusion after abstract and full-text review. Romantic relationships and partners were not frequently examined in incarceration literature, with 8 of 250 articles meeting the inclusion criteria for the current study. However, when romantic partners were mentioned, it focused more on partnerships about family units rather than romantic relationships. The review showcases a need for more research focusing on the impact of incarceration on romantic dyads and romantic aspects of incarceration.