Marital Relationships (marital + relationships)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


AN INVESTIGATION OF UNMET INTIMACY NEEDS IN MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS

JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2005
Jennifer S. Kirby
In this investigation we examined partners' responses to unmet intimacy needs in hopes of better understanding how these responses may affect intimacy satisfaction and overall relationship satisfaction. Eighty-four married couples, plus four additional husbands and 12 additional wives, were recruited from the community and completed measures of relationship satisfaction, intimacy need satisfaction, and attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs. Consistent with the proposed mediational model, less negative attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs were found to be beneficial for overall intimacy satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. In addition, more positive communication responses contributed to greater intimacy satisfaction. Limitations and clinical implications of the current study and directions for future work are discussed. [source]


Compatibility, Leisure, and Satisfaction in Marital Relationships

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2002
Duane W. Crawford
This study challenges the prevailing view that marital companionship promotes marital satisfaction. By following a cohort of married couples for over a decade and by incorporating several methodological improvements,such as refining the measurement of marital satisfaction, determining how much spouses enjoy doing the leisure activities they pursue together and apart, and using diary data to portray marital leisure patterns,we found that the association between companionship and satisfaction is less robust than previously believed, and that it depends on how often spouses pursue activities that reflect their own and their partner's leisure preferences. Over time, involvement in leisure liked by husbands but disliked by wives, whether as a couple or by husbands alone, is both a cause and a consequence of wives' dissatisfaction. [source]


Emotional distress and its correlates among parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders

PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 6 2007
ATSUROU YAMADA md
Abstract A number of studies have reported that parents of autistic children face higher levels of stress, but few studies examined the stress associated with the home care of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) other than autistic disorder. The aims of the present study were therefore to (i) evaluate the emotional stress level of parents caring for their children with PDD; and (ii) explore the correlates of their emotional stress. Participants were 147 families (147 mothers and 122 fathers) of 158 children with PDD (42 with autistic disorder, 35 with Asperger's disorder and 81 with PDD not otherwise specified). K6 was used to measure the stress level of the parents. Marital relationships and personality were assessed with the Intimate Bond Measure and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, respectively. The parents also rated the characteristics of their children with PDD through the Pervasive Developmental Disorder,Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS). The mean K6 score of the mothers was significantly higher than that of the women in the general population in Japan. Stepwise multiple regression indicated that the emotional stress of the mothers was correlated with the personality traits of Neuroticism and Agreeableness, perceived Control by the husband, and the children's PARS score. Clinicians can deliver better service by paying appropriate attention to the emotional distress of mothers of children with not only autistic disorder but also other PDD. [source]


The relationship between major depression and marital disruption is bidirectional

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 12 2009
Andrew G. Bulloch Ph.D.
Abstract Background: Marital status is important to the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders. In particular, the high prevalence of major depression in individuals with separated, divorced, or widowed status has been well documented. However, the literature is divided as to whether marital disruption results in major depression and/or vise versa. We examined whether major depression influences changes of marital status, and, conversely, whether marital status influences the incidence of this disorder. Methods: We employed data from the longitudinal Canadian National Population Health Survey (1994,2004), and proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates. Results: Major depression had no effect on the proportion of individuals who changed from single to common-law, single to married, or common-law to married status. In contrast, exposure to depression doubled the proportion of transitions from common-law or married to separated or divorced status (HR=2.0; 95% CI 1.4,2.9 P<0.001). Conversely an increased proportion of nondepressed individuals with separated or divorced status subsequently experienced major depression (hazard ratio, HR=1.3; 95% CI 1.0,1.5 P=0.04). Conclusion: The high prevalence of major depression in separated or divorced individuals is due to both an increased risk of marital disruption in those with major depression, and also to the higher risk of this disorder in those with divorced or separated marital status. Thus a clinically significant interplay exists between major depression and marital status. Clinicians should be aware of the deleterious impact of major depression on marital relationships. Proactive management of marital problems in clinical settings may help minimize the psycho-social "scar" that is sometimes associated with this disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Asking fathers: a study of psychosocial adaptation

HAEMOPHILIA, Issue 5 2004
E. K. Herrick
Summary., Although few contemporary studies specifically address paternal adaptation, the theme of paternal estrangement from medical care and from family relationships is pervasive in the psychosocial literature on haemophilia. This estrangement has been shown to have a negative effect on fathers' psychological well-being, marital relationships and the adaptive outcome of their sons who have haemophilia. The goals of this study were to provide contemporary data on the psychosocial adaptation of fathers of boys with haemophilia and to examine specific variables that might influence their adjustment. Eighty-three eligible fathers returned a survey instrument that collected demographic and medical information, as well as scores on self-measures of adaptation in marital and parenting roles. Statistically significant direct correlations (P < 0.01) were found between fathers' scores on the Marital Adjustment Test and the Parenting Sense of Competence subscales (parenting efficacy and satisfaction). Variables specific to rearing a son with haemophilia that negatively affected fathers' marital adjustment scores included: feeling left out of medical decision making by their wives or partners, worry about their sons' having limited activity, and the presence of a secondary diagnosis in the affected child. Scores on the parenting efficacy subscale of the PSOC were statistically significantly reduced (i.e. fathers felt less effective in the parenting role) in men who ,rarely' or ,never' infused their sons (42/80, 53%). Variables that negatively affected scores on the parenting satisfaction subscale included frustrating interactions with medical staff and concern about their sons' potential to contract an infection or secondary diagnosis. This paper presents a model to examine the interrelationships among the data and discusses the clinical implications. [source]


Relational problems and psychiatric symptoms in couple therapy

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 4 2005
Ann-Marie Lundblad
This article describes couples attending family counselling in Sweden. The study group is compared with clinical groups and non-clinical groups. Self-rating instruments were com-pleted by 317 women and 312 men to evaluate the following: marital satisfaction (DAS), expressed emotion (QAFM), family climate (FC), psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90) and sense of coherence (SOC). This group had several problems: marital relationships, disrupted family functioning, dyadic interactions characterised by criticism and open arguments, and multiple psychological symptoms. The women were espe-cially discontent in the relationship, and they exhibited higher symptom strain and lower sense of coherence than the men did. Compared with non-clinical populations, this group was severely distressed and was similar to in-patient families in child psychiatric clinics. The low sense of coherence of the individuals in the group under study means that their sense of having a meaningful life and their ability to comprehend and manage problems were severely compromised. Adequate and comprehensive treatment within the framework of social pro-grammes should be made available to these couples and others in a similar situation. [source]


A comparative, cross-national analysis of partner-killing by women in cohabiting and marital relationships in Australia and the United States

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2004
Jenny Mouzos
Abstract Using a national-level United States database, T. K. Shackelford [Partner-killing by women in cohabiting relationships and marital relationships. Homicide Studies 5: 253-266, 2001] calculated rates of partner-killing by women by relationship type (cohabiting or marital), by partner ages, and by the age difference between partners. Men in cohabiting relationships were 10 times more likely to be killed by their partners than were married men. Within marriages, the risk of being killed by a partner decreased with a man's age. Within cohabiting relationships, in contrast, middle-aged men were at greatest risk of being killed by their partners. The risk that a man will be killed by his partner generally increased with greater age difference between partners. We sought to replicate the findings of Shackelford [2001] using national-level data held as part of the National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) at the Australian Institute of Criminology in Australia. The NHMP holds data on over 3,500 homicides that occurred in Australia between 1989 and 2000. Despite the higher rate of partner-killing in the United States, and despite other cultural differences between the two countries (for example, the prominent gun culture in the United States), we replicated the key patterns with the Australian data. Aggr. Behav. 30:206,216, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Uncovering beliefs embedded in the culture and its implications for practice: the case of Maltese married couples

JOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2005
Angela Abela
Given the low incidence of marriage breakdown in Malta, this study investigates the level of marital satisfaction among Maltese couples and how they manage conflict between them. One particular interest in conducting this study has been that of exploring how cultural beliefs shape marital relationships and to what extent Maltese clinicians can rely on the Anglo-American literature in their clinical work with married couples. Three hundred and fifty-four randomly selected couples answered a self-administered questionnaire simultaneously and separately. A number of findings, namely the influence of a child-oriented family in the level of marital satisfaction and the predominance of a constructive style of conflict resolution, differed from those we normally find in the Anglo-American literature. The study addresses the importance of taking into account the cultural context when working with couples. The implications for practice of the various beliefs embedded in the culture are highlighted. [source]


Partner Violence and Street Violence among Urban Adolescents: Do the Same Family Factors Relate?

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 3 2001
Deborah Gorman-Smith
Few studies have evaluated how participation in violence that occurs on the streets as part of criminal or delinquent behavior relates to violence that occurs as part of dating or marital relationships (partner violence). Using longitudinal data from 141 African American and Latino male youth (15,19 years old), the relation between family characteristics and participation in one or both types of violent behavior was evaluated. The youth in this study were more likely to report use of violence in relationships if they were also participating in violence as part of other criminal behavior. However, there were distinct groups of offenders. Among those males reporting involvement in a dating or romantic relationship, four groups were identified: (1) those who had not participated in either type of violence, 57%; (2) those who had participated in partner violence only, 14%; (3) those who had participated in street violence only, 12%; and (4) those who had participated in both, 17%. Discriminate function analyses significantly differentiated the group who had participated in both types of violence from the nonviolent group, with the former group having poorer functioning families. These two groups were also differentiated from the partner violence-only and street violence-only groups. No differences were found between the partner violence-only and the street violence-only groups. Implications for intervention and prevention are discussed. [source]


Gender and relationships: Influences on agentic and communal behaviors

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2004
Eun Jung Suh
The present research examined the moderating influence of situations involving friends and romantic partners on gender differences in interpersonal behaviors reflecting agency and communion. Behavior was studied in three situations varying in social role and dyadic gender composition: same-sex friendships, opposite-sex friendships, and romantic relationships. To obtain multiple events representing each relationship situation, participants recorded information about their interpersonal interactions during a 20-day period using an event-contingent recording procedure. Results indicated gender differences consistent with gender stereotypes when men and women were interacting with same-sex friends; men with men were more dominant and women with women were more agreeable. In interactions with romantic partners, gender differences in communal behavior were opposite to gender stereotypes; women were less agreeable and more quarrelsome than men with their romantic partners. Results are considered in reference to developmental socialization theory, social role theory, and studies of gender differences in marital relationships. [source]


Marie Nathusius' Elisabeth and Fontane's Effi Briest: Mental Illness and Marital Discord in the "Century of Nerves"

THE GERMAN QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2010
Nicole Thesz
This comparative analysis of Marie Nathusius' Elisabeth (1856/57) and Theodor Fontane's Effi Briest (1895) reveals striking similarities. Both novels depict child brides whose disappointment in marriage leads to nervous ailments. The Kur that both heroines undergo represents one of several contrasts between domesticity and the outside world. Illness, in Nathusius's portrayal, is an opportunity to negotiate difficulties in marital relationships. While Elisabeth upholds traditional models of femininity, it also shows the husband's nervous reactions to discord. Like Effi Briest, there are implications of social pressures, but ultimately healing Elisabeth involves her free will to choose religious faith, and thus health or "das Heil". Fontane, in contrast, places the etiology of illness firmly within the vicissitudes of patriarchal society, which crushes the individual beneath its hypocritical norms. The Kur thus offers Effi no respite, and instead transports her toward isolation and untimely death. [source]


The psychosocial functioning of children and spouses of adults with ADHD

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 4 2003
Klaus Minde
Background:, It is unclear what the impact of parental ADHD is on the day-to-day life of the rest of the family and how it contributes to the intergenerational transmission of this disorder. Method:, The psychosocial functioning of 23 spouses and 63 children of 33 families with an ADHD parent and 20 spouses and 40 children of 26 comparison families was examined. Both adults and their spouses were assessed for lifetime and current Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, present general psychiatric symptoms and their marital relationships. Children were screened for ADHD and other problems, using the C-DISC, CBLC, TRF and the Social Adjustment Inventory. Results:, Children with an ADHD parent had higher rates of psychopathology than those from comparison families. Children with ADHD had more co-morbidities than non-ADHD children. Family and marital functions were impaired in ADHD families regardless of the gender of the affected parent. Children without ADHD from families with one psychiatrically healthy parent did well while the behaviour of children with ADHD was always poor and not associated with parental mental health. Conclusion:, The results underscore the strong genetic contribution to ADHD and the need to carefully assess the non-ADHD parent as they seem to influence the well-being of non-ADHD children in families with an ADHD parent. [source]


Associations Between Coerced Anal Sex and Psychopathology, Marital Distress and Non-Sexual Violence

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009
Parvaneh Mohammadkhani PhD
ABSTRACT Background., There is a dearth of scientific data on anal intercourse in heterosexual relationships. Likewise, anal sex within marital relationships has yet to be fully explored. Objectives., Among a representative sample of married women in the Iranian capital, Tehran, we aimed to determine the association of self-reported coerced anal sex with: (i) self-reported coerced vaginal sex; (ii) self-reported non-sexual violence; (iii) psychopathology; and (iv) marital attitude. Method., The data presented here were obtained from the Family Violence Survey conducted in Tehran in 2007. A total of 230 married Iranian women were selected via a multi-cluster sampling method from four different randomized regions. The subjects' sociodemographic data, psychological distress (Symptom Check List; SCL-90-R), personality, and relationship characteristics (Personal and Relationships Profile), and marital attitude (Marital Attitude Survey) were gathered. In addition, the participants' self-reported histories of lifetime victimization through all types of violence by the husband, including coerced anal and vaginal sex as well as psychological and physical assault (Conflict Tactic Scales-Revised; CTS-2), were collected. Results., There were associations between self-reported victimization through coerced anal and vaginal sex (P < 0.001), psychological (P < 0.001), and physical aggression (P < 0.001). Those reporting to have been forced into anal intercourse cited higher rates of paranoid and psychotic features, jealousy, attribution of problems to one's own behavior, conflict, and male dominance, as well as lower expectations of improvement in one's marital relationship. Conclusion., In marital relationships, women are at a higher risk of coerced anal sex if subjected to other types of sexual or non-sexual violence. Higher rates of psychopathology and poorer marital relationships are also allied to self-reported anal sexual coercion. Mohammadkhani P, Khooshabi KS, Forouzan AS, Azadmehr H, Assari S, and Lankarani MM. Associations between coerced anal sex and psychopathology, marital distress and non-sexual violence. J Sex Med 2009;6:1938,1946. [source]


An exploration into the wellbeing of the families living in the ,suburbs in the bush',

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2009
Sanjay Sharma
Abstract Objective: To examine the wellbeing of families of male mine-workers living in remote mining towns in Australia. Methods: Through an extensive review of available (but limited) social science literature on mining towns this paper explores and identifies the key social issues and problems of mining towns. Social science and health-related research are used to argue that there are several factors that may negatively affect the relationship and psychological wellbeing of family members. Results: Atypical work schedules of the mining jobs could negatively affect the long-term health of the workers, and could constrain their qualitative participation in domestic roles. Limited availability of resources, services and flexi-time jobs in mining towns marginalise female partners to domestic chores. Higher level of alcohol consumption by workers and their preferred spending of leisure time with workmates symbolise patriarchal culture in mining towns that further marginalises women and could strain marital relationships. These factors could affect the social and emotional health of the children. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary studies are needed to gain realistic understanding of the dynamics of long-term impacts of long work hours/compressed work weeks, socio-cultural, motivational and environmental factors on the wellbeing of the workers and their families living in mining towns. Family counsellors and mental health professionals working in remote mining towns must take into consideration the likely negative impacts of work and community on individuals and families. [source]


The adult attachment interview and self-reports of romantic attachment: Associations across domains and methods

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2000
PHILLIP R. SHAVER
Two lines of research on adult attachment have emerged; both are based on Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment theory, which in turn relies on evolutionary theory. Investigators in one tradition use the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) to assess "state of mind with respect to attachment." The AAI has been validated primarily by its ability to predict the attachment classification of an interviewee's child in Ainsworth's "strange situation." Investigators in the second tradition use self-report measures to assess romantic "attachment style." The self-report measures have been validated by their ability to predict features of romantic/marital relationships. Although the two constructs. state of mind and romantic attachment, are importantly different and so would not be expected to relate highly, some of their components, especially ability to depend on attachment figures, should be related if both stem from a person's attachment history. We report associations between components, or aspects, of the two measures. Overlap occurs mainly in the areas of comfort depending on attachment figures and comfort serving as an attachment figure for others. Implications of the findings for attachment theory and research, as well as for evolutionary psychology, are discussed. [source]