Psychometric characteristics of individuals with sexual dysfunction and their partners.

This study assessed psychological dimensions and marital adjustment of 52 couples in which one of the partners met operational criteria for hypoactive sexual desire or erectile dysfunction. Information was obtained independently from the dysfunctional subjects and their partners by means of validated inventories: the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory (DSFI), Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (L-W), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The global measures of sexual function and satisfaction of the DSFI showed marked impairment in all groups, while its subscale scores suggested characteristic differences in the profiles of the dysfunctional groups and their partners. In contrast to individual psychologic measures, the assessment of marital adjustment was within the scale's normative limits in all diagnostic groups. There is a need for controlled studies to better characterize sexual and marital dimensions in diagnostically well-defined dysfunctional couples.     

The measurement of marital quality

The quality of marital relationships is the most studied topic pertaining to marriage and family life. Moreover, clinicians have become increasingly interested in this variable as divorce rates have climbed and as services for counseling and therapy have become more readily available and more widely accepted. These research and clinical needs necessitate the availability of measures of variables which assess marital quality (e.g., marital adjustment, satisfaction, and happiness). This article discusses the need for such measures, reviews the history of measurements in this area, identifies some conceptual and methodological issues of relevance, and then focuses most specifically on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale developed by Spanier. Some cautions for clinicians are noted, and a discussion of future measurement needs is presented.     

Etiological attributions, responsibility attributions, and marital adjustment in erectile dysfunction patients.

The relationships between responsibility attributions, etiological attributions (psychogenically versus biogenically caused), and marital adjustment were explored in 30 erectile dysfunction patients and their partners via the Attributions Regarding Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Exploration of responsibility attributions yielded a consistent pattern of blaming the identified patient. This pattern is discussed in terms of two perspectives in attributional theory: the "self-serving bias" and the "just world" hypothesis. Etiological attributions were not relevant to actual diagnosis, marital adjustment, choice of treatment professional, or expectations for treatment outcome. Partner agreement regarding etiology was not related to actual cause or marital adjustment.     

The dyadic adjustment of female-to-male transsexuals

Dyadic adjustment, sexual activities, and marital stability in the relationships of female-to-male transsexuals and their spouses were examined. Participants were 22 female-to-male transsexuals who had undergone some form of surgery to alter their anatomical sex, their spouses, and a control group of married or cohabitating nontranssexual men and women. Participants were administered the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and additional items to assess quantitatively their marital relationships. The transsexuals and their spouses were also asked open-ended interview questions concerning marital and life adjustments. Generally, the transsexuals and their spouses reported good and mutually satisfying interpersonal relationships that are in many ways comparable to those of the matched control group. These findings lend support to the previous clinical interview studies that have reported that female-to-male transsexuals form stable and enduring intimate relationships.This study was made possible by National Institute of Mental Health Grant 1 R03 MH 32847-01 and a Boston University Seed Research Grant.     

Magnitude and directional effects of marital sex-role incongruence on marital adjustment

Economic and social forces have converged to influence the fundamental nature of marriage in the 1980s. Marriages are shifting from the complementary type, in which the husband is employed and the wife cares for the household and children, to the parallel type, in which both spouses are employed and both are responsible for the housework. This study examines the relationship between marital sex role incongruence and marital adjustment. Both the magnitude and the direction of the incongruence are related to marital adjustment level. The study's major hypothesis is that the relationship between marital sex-role incongruence and marital adjustment is a function of both the magnitude of the incongruence and the direction of the disagreement. Couples in the study were recruited from a moderately sized midwestern university community. 103 couples agreed to participate but 73 couples actually returned the questionnaire. Of these 73 couples, 63% were randomly recruited through door-to-door solicitation, 29% were recruited from an evangelical Christian organization and church, and 8% were recruited from acquaintances of the 1st author. After deleting incomplete questionnaires, final sample size was 67 couples. Each member of a marital dyad completed a questionnaire including a Dyadic Adjustment Scale to measure marital adjustment, a Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale to measure marital sex-role orientation, a Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Short Form C to measure social desirability bias, and a demographic information sheet. Findings indicate that direction of incongruence plays a very important role in determining the impact of marital sex-role incongruence on marital adjustment; namely, the greater the incongruence is in the direction of the wife being more egalitarian relative to her husband, the more negative is the estimated impact on marital adjustment. Conversely, the greater the incongruence is in the direction of the husband being more egalitarian than his wife, the more positive is its estimated impact on marital adjustment.     

Couples' patterns of adjustment to colon cancer

The objectives for this longitudinal study were to: (a) compare colon cancer patients' and their spouses' appraisal of illness, resources, concurrent stress, and adjustment during the first year following surgery; (b) examine the influence of gender (male vs female) and role (patient vs spouse caregiver) on study variables; (c) assess the degree of correlation between patients' and spouses' adjustments; and (d) identify factors that affect adjustment to the illness. Fifty-six couples were interviewed at one week post diagnosis, and at 60 days and one year post surgery. Based on a cognitive-appraisal model of stress, the Smilkstein Stress Scale was used to measure concurrent stress; the Family APGAR, Social Support Questionnaire, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale were used to measure social resources; the Beck Hopelessness Scale and Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scales were used to measure appraisal of illness; and the Brief Symptom Inventory and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale were used to measure psychosocial adjustment. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance indicated that spouses reported significantly more emotional distress and less social support than patients. Gender differences were found, with women reporting more distress, more role problems, and less marital satisfaction, regardless of whether they were patient or spouse. Both patients and spouses reported decreases in their family functioning and social support, but also decreases in emotional distress over time. Moderately high autocorrelations and modest intercorrelations were found among and between patients' and spouses' adjustment scores over time. The strongest predictors of patients' role adjustment problems were hopelessness and spouses' role problems. The strongest predictors of spouses' role problems were spouses' own baseline role problems and level of marital satisfaction. Interventions need to start early in the course of illness, be family-focused, and identify the couples at risk of poorer adjustment to colon cancer.     

Prenatal Coparenting Alliance and Marital Satisfaction When Pregnancy Occurs After Assisted Reproductive Technologies or Spontaneously

Although the coparenting relationship has been described as key in family dynamics, very few studies have assessed its development during pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology (ART). In this study, the authors compared the prenatal coparenting relationship in 33 couples who conceived through ART with that of 49 couples who conceived spontaneously, and assessed the association between marital satisfaction and the prenatal coparenting alliance. The first‐time parents were met during the second trimester of pregnancy. A validated observational task (the Prenatal Lausanne Trilogue Play) was used to assess their prenatal coparenting relationship, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale was used to evaluate marital satisfaction. No differences were observed in the two groups' global prenatal coparenting scores, but the ART couples showed less coparental playfulness than those who conceived spontaneously. Marital satisfaction was higher in women who conceived through ART. These data suggest that infertility and its treatment affect the prenatal coparenting and marital relationships in different ways.     

Sexuality, intimacy, and marital satisfaction in Iranian first-time parents

This study aims at investigating the sexual relationship and intimate of postpartum spouses and the effect of those relationships on their marital satisfaction. A sample of 128 postpartum couples having given birth to their first child (6-36 weeks postpartum) participated in this study during 2009. A nonexperimental, cross-sectional survey design was conducted using Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory, Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationship Scale and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Using univariate and multivariate regression analysis, results suggested that there were higher levels of sexual desire reported by husbands and there was a significant positive relationship between sexuality and marital satisfaction, for both genders. Moreover, high intimacy diminished the negative effects of marital satisfaction due to reported low sexual satisfaction. Regarding negative effects of marital dissatisfaction in first-time families, it is important to assess main related issues such as postpartum sexuality and intimacy, to obtain knowledge for health care providers to provide support to the postpartum families.     

Adaptation to parenthood: Differing expectations of social supports for mothers versus fathers

One hundred and twenty-three first-time parent-couples of five-month-old infants were studied to determine the relationship between dyadic adjustment and marital satisfaction and selected social supports. The identification of need for support, the utilization of support, and the satisfaction with those supports utilized for both child care and household tasks were examined. Mothers and fathers responded separately to Guerney'sRelationship Change Scale, Spanier'sDyadic Adjustment Scale, and to a demographic and social support inventory. One finding was that factors promoting satisfactory marital adjustment were different for new mothers and new fathers. In particular, social supports for child care and household tasks were related to a satisfying adjustment only in new mothers, following culturally stereotypic delineation of concerns.This investigation was supported by Grant #1R21 NU-00829-02, Division of Nursing, Department of Health and Human Services under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Lenz and Dr. Mary Neal.     

Disputing the notion of psychopathology among women married to hypersexual men using the MMPI-2-RF

This article offers a report disputing the notion that women who are married to hypersexual men exhibit a constellation of pathological symptoms, although it is likely they experience marital distress. The authors measured psychopathology using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form and marital satisfaction using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The authors failed to find evidence supporting a common belief that wives of hypersexual men have their own pathology. Wives of hypersexual men, however, were significantly more distressed about their marriages compared with the controls in this study. Overall, these findings contradict a characterization of wives of hypersexual men as being more depressed, anxious, chemically dependent, or otherwise dysfunctional.     

Can confounding by sociodemographic and behavioural factors explain the association between size at birth and blood pressure at age 50 in Sweden?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether socioeconomic confounding explains the relationship between size at birth and blood pressure at age 50. DESIGN: Cross sectional study with retrospectively collected data on size at birth. SETTING: Uppsala, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 1333 men born in 1920-24, and a subset of 615 men for analyses including early social circumstances. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure measured after 10 minutes rest in supine position. Crude and adjusted effect measures were compared. MAIN RESULTS: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics at age 50, such as socioeconomic position, highest education achieved and marital status did not reduce the strength of the association between birth weight and systolic blood pressure at 50 years. In the total population, the slope of the body mass index adjusted relationship changed from -3.4 mmHg/kg to -3.5 mmHg/kg on additional adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics at age 50 (both p values < 0.01). Controlling for behavioural characteristics at age 50, such as smoking and recent alcohol drinking, did not affect the relationship between birth weight and blood pressure at 50. In the 615 men for whom information on sociodemographic circumstances in early life was available, adjustment for factors such as social class of the family, mother's marital status or area of residence, led to a slight reduction of the effect of birth weight on systolic blood pressure at age 50. The slope of the body mass index adjusted relationship changed from -2.8 mmHg/kg to -2.6 mmHg/kg after additional adjustment for early life circumstances in the sample as a whole (p values 0.09 and 0.12). Simultaneous adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics at birth together with sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics at age 50 led to only a slight reduction of the effect of birth weight on systolic blood pressure at 50 years. CONCLUSION: The strong inverse associations between birth weight and blood pressure among 50 year old Swedish men are highly unlikely to be explained by confounding with socioeconomic circumstances at birth or in adult life.     

Preorgasmic group treatment: assertiveness, marital adjustment and sexual function in women

Five measures were used in this study to assess preorgasmic group treatment: Gambill-Richey Assertiveness Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Sexual Arousal Inventory, Survey of Sexual Activity, and General Information Questionnaire. The total sample (N = 70) was made up of two groups: a control group of 32 women and a treatment group of 38 women who had completed preorgasmic group treatment. Analysis of the data showed that the treatment group women were having orgasms more frequently, had developed significantly more positive feelings about themselves, and established better communication with their partners. In assertiveness, the treatment group was somewhat higher, while no significant differences were found on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Of most significance for future research was the finding of increased sexual arousal for treatment group women.     

Enhancing marital sexuality: an evaluation of a program for the sexual enrichment of normal couples

The popular but little researched sexual enrichment program developed by LoPiccolo and Miller was modified and the revised Enhancing Marital Sexuality (EMS) program was evaluated using the Sexual Interaction Inventory (SII) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). A pretest-posttest-follow-up control group design was used to assess the effectiveness of EMS in improving couples' sexual and marital satisfaction. Thirty-four couples were randomly assigned (with replacements) to either the no-treatment control condition or the 11-hour EMS program. Results indicated extensive short-term improvements in sexual satisfaction for both sexes and some short-term gains in marital satisfaction for couples. At 3-month follow-up, improvement was sustained on SII scales of perceptual accuracy for both sexes, and on self-acceptance and pleasure scales for females. No marital satisfaction gains were evident at follow-up. It was concluded that long-term sexual satisfaction gains, especially for females, justify the continued use and refinement of the EMS program. Findings also indicated that marital satisfaction may be too broad a category to be affected by educational training with as specific a focus as sexual enhancement. Suggestions are made for further research.     

The spouse's adjustment to chronic pain: Cognitive and emotional factors

Recent research has demonstrated that the pain behaviors displayed by patients who have chronic pain complaints can be rewarded and maintained by the solicitous and attentive responses of spouses. The present study examines cognitive and emotional factors which may underly such solicitous responding by the spouses. In this study spouses completed a questionnaire (The Spouses' Perception of Disease—SPOD) which was designed to determine their perceptions of the patients' chronic pain syndromes. Additionally spouses completed a measure of emotional and psychological functioning (SCL-90) and a measure of marital satisfaction (Locke-Wallace Scale). The results of this study show that spouse's cognitive interpretation of the patient's chronic pain syndrome is closely associated with the spouse's emotional adjustment and marital satisfaction. Optimism, perception that the patient has a positive attitude along with few psychological problems and the perception that the patient is severely disabled all are associated with more positive emotional status in spouses. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the rehabilitation of chronic pain patients.     

Involuntary childlessness and marital adjustment: his and hers

This study of 103 couples in treatment for infertility suggests that spouses are generally similar in the way they perceive their marital adjustment, but that they arrive at their views by different routes. Acceptance of a childless lifestyle is consistently associated with greater marital adjustment for men, but greater stress associated with infertility undermines marital adjustment for both husbands and wives. Men adjust better to an involuntarily childless marriage if their wives are employed or have high earnings. Wife's marital adjustment diminishes with the length of the marriage and the course of treatment for infertility. The stress women experience as a result of infertility influences their perception of their marriage and may undermine their ability to get the support they need during the transition to nonparenthood.     

父母婚姻冲突对儿童同伴关系的影响

目的 研究父母婚姻冲突对儿童同伴关系的影响,为构建和谐家庭、促进儿童健康成长提供参考.方法 选取山西省临汾市6所小学,每所小学四至六年级各整群抽取1个班共计18个班,采用婚姻冲突儿童知觉量表和同伴提名法,对748名小学四至六年级学生进行问卷调查.结果 儿童对父母婚姻冲突的感知较多进行自我归因;儿童的同伴关系具有性别与城乡差异;儿童关于父母婚姻冲突的感知对其同伴关系产生了影响.结论 父母婚姻冲突影响了儿童的同伴关系,进而影响了儿童的身心健康.     

Group treatment format: Mixed sexual dysfunctions

This study reports the rationale and results of a ten-session group composed of six couples with mixed sexual dysfunctions. Dysfunctions included premature ejaculation, primary and situational orgasmic dysfunction, situational impotence, and incompatible sex drives. A variety of pretreatment behavioral and attitudinal measures were administered, including a Life History Questionnaire, Sexual Assessment Inventory, Marital Adjustment Scale, and Sexual Interaction Inventory. Postgroup measures revealed marked increases in marital satisfaction, orgasmic attainment, ejaculatory control, and enhan ed self-acceptance, particularly for females (SII changes). The consistency between outcome measures was also a noteworthy finding. The results suggest increased use of mixed short-term groups, particularly when cost-effectiveness accountability is important. One contraindication for such groups is, however, severe marital discord, as evidenced by Locke-Wallace mean scores of 80 or less.     

Marital Quality and Health of Chinese Couples: A Longitudinal Study

The linkage between marital quality (marital adjustment and marital satisfaction) and mental health (midlife crisis symptoms and life satisfaction) as well as perceived health status in 378 Chinese married couples over 2 years was examined. Results showed that marital adjustment and marital satisfaction were concurrently related to midlife crisis symptoms, life satisfaction, and perceived health at Time 1 and Time 2. Longitudinal and prospective analyses (Time 1 predictors predicting Time 2 criterion variables) suggest that the relationships between marital quality and health measures are bidirectional in nature. While marital quality predicted changes in midlife crisis symptoms in husbands, but not in wives, marital quality predicted changes in perceived health status in wives, but not in husbands. Results also showed that mental health influenced the marital adjustment of the wives, but not the husbands, over time.     

The Relationship of Marital Adjustment and Sexual Satisfaction with Depressive Symptoms in Women

The harmony between the spouses is an important factor that may affect all aspects of a relationship. Marriage-related problems are an important stressor to affecting mental health. The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between marital adjustment and sexuality with depressive symptoms in women. The study was conducted with 160 participants and the data were collected by the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and the Marital Adjustment Test. Result of this study it was observed that as the general health status of women was disrupted and their depression risk increased, their marital adjustment decreased and they tended to have problems with sexual functions.