Abstract
ABSTRACTObjectives: Although supporting preventative self-regulation and self-care activity for daily stress is important as dyadic coping, there seems a paucity of exploration of non-verbal interventions such as tactile communication. This preliminary experimental study assessed the efficacy of a short educational massage programme for healthy but stressed couples. The study aimed to investigate if the educational mutual massage (Positive Massage) programme has any acute and sustained effects on wellbeing, perceived stress and coping, and relationship satisfaction among couples.Design: A pseudo randomised two group design employing a delayed treatment element assessed the effects of the Positive Massage programme and subsequent at-home application. Thirty-eight participants completed a three-week massage course.Main Outcome Measures: Measurements of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, the Rhode Island Stress and Coping Inventory, and the Positive Feelings Questionnaire were collected online using Qualtrics at three time points (the start, the end, and three weeks after the course). Data were analysed with mixed ANOVAs.Results: Mental wellbeing, and perceived stress and coping significantly improved from before to after the Positive Massage programme. There was no significant decline after the cessation of the massage programme. Relationship satisfaction did not show significant changes from the initial assessment.Conclusions: The overall effects of the Positive Massage programme indicate the importance of developing further large scale studies of mutual massage as a safe and beneficial self-care activity. This innovative study has laid the groundwork for future studies into the possibility of mutual massage as a self-regulation dyadic coping strategy for home use to improve overall wellbeing.
Highlights
Decades of research has revealed that stress, especially chronic daily hassles stress, can be detrimental to health and wellbeing (DeLongis, Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988; Serido, Almeida, & Wethington, 2004)
The effects of massage on mental wellbeing, stress and coping, and relationship satisfaction were compared with mixed ANOVAs
Mental wellbeing Mixed ANOVA revealed that there was a significant difference in the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) score between T1 and T2, F (1, 32) = 18.48, p < .001, h2 = .37 but no main effect of group on the WEMWBS score F (1, 32) = .58, p = .45, h2 =
Summary
Decades of research has revealed that stress, especially chronic daily hassles stress, can be detrimental to health and wellbeing (DeLongis, Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988; Serido, Almeida, & Wethington, 2004). Stress is the discrepancy between a person’s resources and environmental demands, and the impact of stress depends on the appraisal of perceived stress and coping ability (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). In addition to one’s own perceived stress and coping ability, the experiences of an individual’s partner can affect psychological and physical wellbeing and health (Buck & Neff, 2012; Chopik & O’Brien, 2017; Falconier, Nussbeck, Bodenmann, Schneider, & Bradbury, 2015). There seems a paucity of exploration regarding non-verbal interventions such as tactile communication
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
