Marital adjustment following spinal cord injury

The present study examined marital characteristics of couples who are coping successfully with spinal cord injury (SCI) versus those who are not and the relationship of positive marital adjustment in SCI couples as compared with positive adjustment among able-bodied (AB) couples. In a 2 X 2 factorial design the marital relations of 10 nondistressed and 10 distressed SCI couples and 14 nondistressed and 10 distressed AB couples were examined. Assessments were conducted in the couples' homes and included self-report measures of recreational-social activities and sexual relations, and observations of marital communication skills. Multivariate analyses revealed significant interaction effect with posthoc comparisons, indicating that spouses in distressed SCI marriages engaged in significantly fewer activities alone and with their spouse and requested the greatest degree of change in the marital relationship in comparison with the other groups. There was a significant main effect for marital satisfaction, with distressed couples expressing more dissatisfaction in sexual relations and more negative communications during conflict resolution tasks. Although the results do not indicate that substantive differences exist in quantitative and qualitative aspects of marital relations between SCI and AB couples, several trends were observed which suggest the need for further research.     

The roles of marriage and anger dysregulation in biobehavioral stress responses

Physiological and behavioral correlates of anger dysregulation in adults were evaluated in the context of marital stress. Fifty-four married couples participated in a series of laboratory procedures that included electrocardiogram measures during a 15-min marital conflict interaction and an interview assessing their inability to regulate anger (anger dysregulation). Results from the multivariate regression analyses indicated that the nature of the couple's relationship, rather than individual levels of anger dysregulation, predicted lower parasympathetic cardiac activity (indexed by high-frequency heart period variability) and shorter cardiac interbeat intervals. Anger dysregulation, rather than the dyadic relationship, was predictive of greater displays of angry behavior during the marital conflict interaction. The importance of contextual factors in stress processes, such as stress due to marriage, are discussed in light of research linking poor marital quality to greater health risks for women than for men.     

Sex-role attributes, gender, and postpartal perceptions of the marital relationship

The relationships of sex-role attributes and gender to perceptions of changes in intimacy and in the overall marital relationship were examined, as was the quality of that relationship following the birth of an infant. For a sample of 165 couples, positive changes in intimacy and in the overall relationship following delivery were positively related to marital quality at four months postpartum. Of gender and sex-role attributes, only femininity contributed significantly to the prediction of overall change and quality. None of the variables predicted perceived change in intimacy.     

Marital Cognitions and Depression in the Context of Marital Discord

The cognitions of 63 couples were examined to explicate the link between marital conflict and depression. Following a laboratory-based marital problem solving discussion, spouses listed cognitions about these discussions and thoughts about the future of their relationship. Cognitions also were assessed using the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire and Marital Attitude Survey. Self-reported assessments of mood were obtained before and after the problem solving discussion. Depressed wives exhibited significantly more self-blame and hopeless thoughts than nondepressed wives. Self-blame, partner-blame, and hopelessness in reference to the problem solving discussions were associated with spouses' mood states after a problem solving discussion, albeit in different ways. The results support the importance of hopelessness and blame in understanding the link between marital discord and depression.     

Partner understanding of the breast and prostate cancer experience.

PURPOSE: This exploratory study was designed to examine partners' understanding of patients' experience with prostate or breast cancer and to assess the congruence between patient and partner perceptions regarding social support and the cancer experience. METHODS: Partner understanding of patient mood was assessed by comparing the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire scores of patients with the POMS scores of their partners (who were instructed to complete the questionnaire as patient proxies). A semistructured interview with corresponding questions for patients and partners assessed the congruency between patient and partner perceptions regarding social support and the cancer experience. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-three couples participated. Eight couples were woman with breast cancer and their husbands, and 15 couples were men with prostate cancer and their wives. The patients with breast cancer and their partners were an average age of 48 years and had been married for 20 years, while the patients with prostate cancer and their partners were 67 years of age and had been married for 40 years, on average. Overall, female partners possessed a more accurate understanding of their husbands' experience with prostate cancer than male partners had of women's breast cancer experience. These men tended to overestimate the breast cancer patients' self-reported levels of distress. Patient and partner perceptions regarding social support in the relationship and the cancer experience were also more congruent in prostate couples than in breast couples. This may be a factor not only of gender but also of age and the length of time that these couples had been together, which was twice as long for the prostate couples. Overall, however, patients were well adjusted and felt understood by their partners and satisfied with the support their partners provided.     

Self-reports of differentiation of self and marital compatibility as related to family functioning in the third and fourth stages of the family life cycle

Using Bowen's, Olson's, and general systems frameworks, this investigator tested relationships among individual, marital, and family functioning in the stressed childrearing stages of the family life cycle. Sixty volunteer married couples completed the Level of Differentiation of Self Scale (LDSS), Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (MAT), and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES) III. A significant canonical correlation was found among differentiation of self and marital compatibility as they both relate to family functioning. Subsequent canonical correlations were significant for wives but not for husbands, indicating gender differences in relationships among perceived individual, marital, and family phenomena. The concept of adaptability as proposed by Olson's Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Functioning was not supported. A revised model is proposed.     

Marital Satisfaction and an Information-Processing Measure of Partner-Schemas

In comparison with most research on relationship cognitions that has focused on cognitive contents as assessed by self-report measures, this study introduces an information-processing measure of partner-schemas, based on the incidental recall task. Indices from this task include judgments as to whether negative and positive personal adjectives describe the partner (i.e., a measure of schema content) and incidental recall of adjectives initially endorsed as describing the partner (i.e., a measure of facilitated recall of schema-relevant information). Results from a sample of married couples indicated that the newly introduced measure of partner—schemas was correlated with marital satisfaction, and that these correlations remained significant when controlling for symptoms of depression. These findings suggest that the incidental recall task may be a useful measure of partner-schemas.     

A hypothesized model of Korean women's responses to abuse.

Many abused married Korean women have a strong desire to leave their abusive husbands but remain in the abusive situations because of the strong influence of their sociocultural context. The article discusses Korean women's responses to spousal abuse in the context of patriarchal, cultural, and social exchange theory. Age, education, and income as component elements share common effects on the emergent variable, sociostructural power. Gender role attitudes, traditional family ideology, individualism/collectivism, marital satisfaction, and marital conflict predict psychological-relational power as a latent variable. Sociostructural, patriarchal, cultural, and social exchange theories are reconceptualized to generate the model of Korean women's responses to abuse.     

Chronic headache patients' marital and family adjustment

The purpose of this study was to compare the marital and family adjustment of headache patients and their spouses, before pain control treatment, to couples without chronic pain. Minuchin's (1978) family systems theory of psychosomatic illness was tested, using an adult sample. This sample consisted of 117 headache-patient-and-spouse couples and a control group of 108 married couples without chronic pain. A survey design was used with marital and family assessment instruments. Marital and family questionnaires were given to headache patients and their spouses before beginning treatment and were sent to couples without chronic pain. "Headache couples" reported greater differences in consensus, cohesion, affection, and sexual relationships than did control couples. Headache patients reporting greater marital adjustment were more likely to have continuous pain than those reporting less marital adjustment. Headache patients' pain per day correlated positively with greater family cohesion and adaptability. Headache patients' severity of pain correlated positively with greater marital affection. The spouses' marital cohesion, affection, and family cohesion and adaptability correlated positively with increased severity of patients' pain.     

Psychological adaptation to spousal bereavement in old age: The role of trait resilience,marital history,and context of death

This research examined the effect of marital status and gender on various indicators of psychological adaptation, namely depressive symptoms, loneliness, and life satisfaction. It further explores the role of trait resilience, marital history, and context of death for predicting these outcomes in bereaved individuals. Four hundred eighty widowed individuals aged between 60 and 89 were compared with 759 married peers. Main effects were found for marital status and gender for all indicators. The regression analyses illustrate the multifaceted structure of psychological adaptation. Trait resilience is a key factor in adapting to spousal bereavement, whereas marital history and the context are secondary.     

Causal attributions for interactional behaviors in married couples

The present study investigated the causal attributions offered by 13 distressed and 14 nondistressed married couples for partner behaviors that occurred during laboratory problem-solving interactions. Attributions were assessed utilizing an indirect probe as well as direct ratings on standard attributional dimensions, subjects engaged in more attributional activity for negative partner behavior than for positive relationship events. Examination of attributional content on the indirect probe showed that “relationship-enhancing” attributions were most likely to occur in response to positive partner actions, while “distress-maintaining” attributions were most likely to follow negative acts. Group differences in the content of attributions offered were found on two dimensions examined with the rating scales. Relative to nondistressed couples, distressed spouses were significantly more likely to view negative partner behavior as global and stable, and positive partner behavior as less global and stable.     

Marital satisfaction and distress in chronic low-back pain patients and their spouses

This study examined the relation between marital satisfaction, psychological distress, self-reported pain, disability, and clinical findings in 63 chronic low-back pain (CLBP) patients from primary health care centers. The relation between marital satisfaction and psychological distress in their spouses was also studied. Marital dissatisfaction in female CLBP patients was significantly associated with psychological distress, as well as with patient self-reported pain and disability. Marital dissatisfaction in their male spouses was also strongly related to psychological distress. In male CLBP patient couples, marital dissatisfaction and psychological distress were much less significantly related. This gender difference should be taken into account in the treatment of CLBP couples.     

Assessing Intimate Partner Abuse: Associated Factors and Health Consequences among Jordanian Women

In this cross-sectional study, we assessed levels and types of psychological and physical intimate partner abuse (IPA), and the association of IPA with socio-demographic factors and health consequences. The Abusive Behavior Inventory was completed by 471 Jordanian women. IPA was higher among older women who were: of older age, of younger age at marriage, married to unemployed spouses, living in urban residence, and of lower educational level. IPA was associated with most of the health problems except dental injuries and burns. We recommend educational programs that raise women's awareness to their rights to education, free choices in marital age, and policies that mitigate IPA in Jordan and similar patriarchal societies.     

Relations Between Depression Level and Conflict Resolution Styles,Marital Adjustments of Patients With Major Depression and Their Spouses

The objective of this study was to determine to relations between the depression level and the conflict resolution styles, marital adjustments of the depressed patients and to analyze the conflict resolution styles, marital adjustments of both the patients and their spouses as the possible predictors of depression levels. The research comprised 113 patients with major depression and their spouses. While there was a negative correlation between depression scores and positive and subordination conflict resolution styles subscales of the patients, there was a positive correlation between the depression scores and negative conflict resolution style subscale. Negative correlation was observed between the depression and marital adjustment scores of patients (p < 0.05). The conflict resolution styles and marital adjustment of depressed patients and their spouses are predictors of depression in patients.     

Family planning practice and related factors of married women in Ethiopia

KO I.S., YOU M.A., KIM E.S., LEE T.W., KIM S., KIM Y.M., NAM J.J., LEE H.K. (2010).Family planning practice and related factors of married women in Ethiopia. International Nursing Review 57 , 377–382 Background: The family planning (FP) practice rate of Ethiopian women of reproductive age is lower than in most other sub‐Saharan African countries. Aim: To examine the status of FP practice and identify intrapersonal, interpersonal and community factors associated with FP practice among married Ethiopian women in a rural area. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted with a convenient sample of 193 married women of reproductive age. A structured questionnaire, which was modified based on the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, was used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with FP practice at three levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal and community. Results: Almost 67% of women were currently using at least one FP method and most women obtained FP methods from the public health sector. Short‐term methods such as pills and injections were most commonly used. FP practice was significantly associated with willingness to use long‐term or permanent FP methods in future and spousal discussion about FP. Conclusions: Both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors were related to FP practice. Community factors, however, need to be further assessed using various methods to plan a comprehensive and more culturally acceptable community‐based FP program. Caution is needed to generalize the findings because of the convenient sample, but community‐based FP programs emphasizing long‐term or permanent methods and male involvement in FP counseling would be successful strategies to increase FP practice. Implications for nursing practice: Nurses and midwives need to be trained to provide knowledge and skills for long‐term or permanent FP methods for service quality.     

Family dynamics and child abuse and neglect in three Finnish communities

The purpose of this study was to describe family dynamics of Finnish families in which there is abuse or neglect of a child in that family. One adult from 41 families with recognized child abuse/neglect completed the Family Dynamics Measure II (FDM II) consisting of six dimensions of family life, and answered questions about problems, changes and illnesses. Nurses and social workers in community health care and social agencies identified potential subjects in their agencies and collected data. Four of the six dimensions of the FDM II reached statistical significance (p =.05) with child age and number of children, education, marital status, and age of respondent. They are: Flexibility vs. rigidity, Stability vs. disorganization, Clear vs. distorted communication, and Role reciprocity vs. role conflict. FDM II is useful in identifying several of the less positive family dynamics dimensions in abuse:neglect families. Conclusions for clinical management cannot be drawn at this time.     

Family Dynamics and Child Abuse and Neglect in Three Finnish Communities

The purpose of this study was to describe family dynamics of Finnish families in which there is abuse or neglect of a child in that family. One adult from 41 families with recognized child abuse/neglect completed the Family Dynamics Measure II (FDM II) consisting of six dimensions of family life, and answered questions about problems, changes and illnesses. Nurses and social workers in community health care and social agencies identified potential subjects in their agencies and collected data. Four of the six dimensions of the FDM II reached statistical significance ( p =. 05) with child age and number of children, education, marital status, and age of respondent. They are: Flexibility vs. rigidity, Stability vs. disorganization, Clear vs. distorted communication, and Role reciprocity vs. role conflict. FDM II is useful in identifying several of the less positive family dynamics dimensions in abuse:neglect families. Conclusions for clinical management cannot be drawn at this time.