The relationship between marital functioning with adaptability and alexithymia in incompatible couples: the mediating role of emotional empathy

This study investigates the health of couple relationships and emphasizes the importance of improving the quality of communication among couples as a key aspect of community health. Given the decline in the quality of marital relations, marital and emotional problems, and the increase in divorce proceedings, identifying causal factors and preventing them is crucial. This research is cross-sectional in nature and involved a sample of 208 individuals, comprising 104 compatible couples and 104 incompatible couples. Using available sampling methods, participants were selected based on their referral to divorce centers or the absence of such referrals, with ages ranging from 20 to 35 years. Participants completed the emotional empathy scale (EES), (FACES-III), and the Enrich marital satisfaction scale (ECS). Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. The mean emotional empathy score for incompatible couples was 37.59 (SD=3.65). In contrast, compatible couples exhibited a mean emotional empathy score of 117.65 (SD=10.18). Regarding adaptability, incompatible couples had a mean score of 66.61 (SD=3.47), while compatible couples scored significantly higher, with a mean of 112.64 (SD=5.60). Finally, the mean marital functioning score for incompatible couples was 71.35 (SD=2.66), whereas compatible couples had a much lower mean score of 35.76 (SD=3.54). The results indicated that the significance level of Levene's test was less than 0.05 (P<0.0001), suggesting significant differences in the mean scores of emotional empathy, adaptability, and marital functioning between compatible and incompatible young couples. The findings revealed that incompatible young couples have lower emotional empathy and adaptability than the compatible sample, resulting in weaker couple functioning. This situation has led to ongoing conflicts and possibly serious actions toward divorce, which will have significant social consequences. Therefore, regularly monitoring couples and taking action to improve these variables are priorities for enhancing family systems.

Objectives Incompatibility in young couples and its resolution failure are among the main causes of emotional separation and divorce, which have several personal and social consequences. The present study aimed to examine the impact of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on emotional empathy, adaptability, alexithymia, and couple functioning in incompatible young couples. Methods This randomized controlled clinical trial utilized a two-group research design with a pretest-posttest and a 6-month follow-up. The research sample consisted of incompatible young couples from Yazd County, Iran, who had been referred to this city’s counseling and divorce centers in 2023. Based on the inclusion criteria and using simple random sampling, 52 couples (104 individuals) were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group (ACT) and the control group. Participants were assessed before and after the intervention using the following tools: Mehrabian and Epstein’s empathy questionnaire, Olson’s adaptability and cohesion questionnaire, Toronto alexithymia scale, and the ENRICH couples’ satisfaction questionnaire. The experimental group received a specified ACT protocol consisting of 8 sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes each week. The project executor monitored the control group weekly, but no specific therapeutic protocol was implemented for them. After the follow-up phase, the treatment protocol was also applied to them. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 29. Results The analysis of covariance indicated significant differences in the pretest and posttest stages in the mean scores of the experimental and control groups in the variables of emotional empathy, adaptability, alexithymia, and couple functioning (P>0.01). Conclusion We found that the ACT intervention led to increased emotional empathy, decreased alexithymia, and a modulation of adaptability and couple functioning in incompatible young couples. Therefore, ACT can be utilized for incompatible couples seeking assistance at counseling and divorce centers.

The current study explored concordance in spouses' perceptions about exercise and how these perceptions predicted observed and self-reported marital functioning using a sample of 64 older married couples. Although couples were similarly motivated to exercise, their views on their physical fitness and potential barriers to exercise were uncorrelated. Dyadic analyses suggested that spouses' exercise perceptions, particularly husbands', were associated with how spouses treated each other during a marital problem-solving task and with their concurrent and future marital satisfaction. Exploring how spouses' views of exercise are related to their marital functioning and for whom these links are most salient may highlight potential opportunities and challenges for those wishing to strengthen couples' individual and relational well-being through exercise.

This study examines the longitudinal links between self-rated health, chronic diseases, marital functioning and psychological distress over an 18-month period among a representative sample of 384 community-dwelling couples. The moderator role of marital functioning on the longitudinal association between physical health measurements and psychological distress will also be explored. Dyadic data analyses with structural equation modelling were performed. The results indicate that the number of chronic diseases and the level of marital functioning predict a significantly higher level of psychological distress for both men and women. Self-rated health significantly predicts psychological distress over time, but only among older women. No partner effects were found in the present study. Results show a significant moderator role for marital functioning on the longitudinal association between self-rated health and psychological distress among older women. This study underlines the importance of marital functioning and health status as predictors of further psychological distress among older couples.

The health and quality of the marital relationship are important aspects of the family to consider as environments for child development. Associations between the quality of the marital relationship and child development outcomes have long been demonstrated. This chapter presents the definition of marital health, and focuses on explicating the components of marital health, including distinctions between destructive and constructive interparental conflict from the children's perspective. It reviews the findings concerning pathways of the effects of marital health on children, including influences following from exposure to marital functioning (i.e., direct effects), and changes in family functioning, illustrated by parenting, linked with qualities of marital functioning (i.e., indirect effects). The chapter examines additional interrelated family contexts associated with marital health, including parental psychological adjustment, and divorced and divided families as well as blended families. Finally, it presents future directions for understanding marital health as a developmental context for child development.

Intercultural sensitivity, being defined as an attitude reflecting the degree of willingness to interact with people from different cultures, is considered to be crucial to promote dialogue between cultures and social cohesion in today’s diverse and globalised world. Based on the qualitative research carried out at Vilnius University, the article presents the findings of students’ viewpoints on the place of values in decision making process in an intercultural workplace environment. The respondents’ answers revealed their emotional empathy as well as readiness to solve conflicting situations in a constructive way, in the form of dialogue and negotiations, with reference to values as the criteria of evaluation. A conclusion is made that the demonstrated level of students’ emotional empathy and their reliance on values could have a positive impact on their intercultural sensitivity.

The relationship between team cohesion and individual well-being is clear. Being part of a highly cohesive team is likely to contribute to the well-being of individual team members. A multidirectional relationship is likely as individual well-being is also likely to contribute to team cohesion. This chapter examines such critical relationships in the context of team performance. To do so, we draw on the dominant literatures related to these concepts, focusing on two specific types of team cohesion – social cohesion and task cohesion – and two specific types of well-being – subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB). We contend that social cohesion and SWB are likely to be strongly related, while task cohesion and PWB are likely to share a strong relationship. Therefore, the chapter focuses on the evidence regarding the transactional relationship between social team cohesion and SWB, and transactional relationship between task team cohesion and PWB. Of course, we also recognize the close relationships between social and task cohesion, and between SWB and PWB. We consider the practical implications of studying the relationships between these concepts and put forth a number of recommendations for future research in this area.

Background: Metacognitive therapy targets self-differentiation and relational beliefs by helping couples identify unhelpful thinking patterns that fuel conflict. By addressing these underlying cognitive processes, metacognitive therapy aims to improve both individual well-being and relational dynamics. Objectives: This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy in couples with marital conflicts attending the family court in Karaj city. Methods: The present study employed a semi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and control group. The statistical population of this study comprised all couples applying for divorce who had sought divorce or marital dispute resolution at the family court in Karaj in the year 2023. A sample of 32 individuals (16 individuals per group) was selected through voluntary sampling, considering the study entry criteria, and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Participants completed questionnaires on their relational beliefs and self-differentiation in the pretest and posttest stages. The experimental group underwent 16 sessions of 90-minute metacognitive therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was conducted using analysis of covariance. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-27 software. Results: Metacognitive therapy significantly improved relational beliefs compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The experimental group's mean score increased from 85.19 (± 9.89) at pretest to 135.88 (± 11.91) at posttest, while the control group showed minimal change (pretest: 89.31 ± 7.99; posttest: 95.75 ± 16.94). Similar improvements were observed in self-differentiation scores (P < 0.001). The experimental group's mean score increased from 120.81 (± 8.88) at pretest to 173.50 (± 14.45) at posttest, compared to minimal change in the control group (pretest: 126.31 ± 7.40; posttest: 125.75 ± 11.06). Conclusions: The present study yielded significant findings that support the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy in improving relational and marital functioning. These results are promising, suggesting that metacognitive therapy may be a valuable intervention for couples experiencing marital conflict.

Social isolation and disengagement fragments local communities. Evidence indicates that refugee families are highly vulnerable to social isolation in their countries of resettlement. Research to identify approaches to best address this is needed. Football United is a program that aims to foster social inclusion and cohesion in areas with high refugee settlement in New South Wales, Australia, through skills and leadership development, mentoring, and the creation of links with local community and corporate leaders and organisations. The Social Cohesion through Football study's broad goal is to examine the implementation of a complex health promotion program, and to analyse the processes involved in program implementation. The study will consider program impact on individual health and wellbeing, social inclusion and cohesion, as well as analyse how the program by necessity interacts and adapts to context during implementation, a concept we refer to as plasticity. The proposed study will be the first prospective cohort impact study to our knowledge to assess the impact of a comprehensive integrated program using football as a vehicle for fostering social inclusion and cohesion in communities with high refugee settlement.Methods/designA quasi-experimental cohort study design with treatment partitioning involving four study sites. The study employs a 'dose response' model, comparing those with no involvement in the Football United program with those with lower or higher levels of participation. A range of qualitative and quantitative measures will be used in the study. Study participants' emotional well being, resilience, ethnic identity and other group orientation, feelings of social inclusion and belonging will be measured using a survey instrument complemented by relevant data drawn from in-depth interviews, self reporting measures and participant observation. The views of key informants from the program and the wider community will also be solicited.DiscussionThe complexity of the Football United program poses challenges for measurement, and requires the study design to be responsive to the dynamic nature of the program and context. Assessment of change is needed at multiple levels, drawing on mixed methods and multidisciplinary approaches in implementation and evaluation. Attention to these challenges has underpinned the design and methods in the Social Cohesion through Football study, which will use a unique and innovative combination of measures that have not been applied together previously in social inclusion/cohesion and sport and social inclusion/cohesion program research.

Recent research showing links between family narratives and emotional adaptation has raised questions regarding the significance of the coherence of marital narratives for couple adaptation, the important distinction between the narratives couples co-construct and the dyadic process during the co-construction, and the roles of individual psychological functioning and marital functioning in co-constructed narratives. In order to address these questions, we investigated the associations between couples' narratives about the birth of their child and their marital satisfaction and individual psychological wellbeing at the time the narrative was constructed as well as 1 and 2 years later. Results show that the emotional coherence of couples' narratives was associated with their marital satisfaction at the time the narrative was constructed as well as 1 and 2 years later, and similar results were found regarding the emotional expressiveness of the narratives. These associations remained significant when the individual psychological distress of marital partners was held constant and suggest that co-constructed marital narratives are important windows into marital relationships.(Psychology)

PurposeAddressing the housing needs of the displaced communities is an essential part of a recovery programme that has distinct links to livelihoods, health, education, security and social and family stability. The housing factor acts as a social centre for family and friends, a source of pride and cultural identity and a resource that commands both political and economic importance. Therefore, addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities should be seen as a mode to promote resilience and sustainable communities. Instead, the consideration of housing needs merely as a physical need results in many issues to the communities, including no access to livelihood, poor living condition, health problems, lack of financial independence, lack of social satisfaction and social cohesion, and sometimes even recreates and worsens the existing vulnerabilities of displaced communities. Within this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors to consider when addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities, promoting resilience and sustainable communities.Design/methodology/approachThe research team of the project titled REbuildinG AfteR Displacement (REGARD) conducted 47 in-depth interviews in four partner countries (the UK, Sweden, Estonia and Sri Lanka) with officials, community representatives, social support networks, agency networks, etc. Apart from that, focus group discussions were conducted with the community members in Sri Lanka covering both conflict-induced and disaster-induced displacement.FindingsThe findings of this paper revealed that the housing factor has a significant role in rebuilding communities and determining the long-term satisfaction of displaced communities. Further, the results present eight essential factors to consider when addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities, promoting resilient and sustainable communities.Practical implicationsThe findings are helpful for future planners, urban designers, architects and policymakers who work in the resettlement field. Planners, urban designers and architects can use these identified factors to cross-check their resettlement planning and designing strategies in addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities. Further, policymakers can mainstream these identified factors into the resettlement housing-related policies and regulations.Originality/valueAddressing the housing needs of the displaced communities is an essential part of a recovery programme that has distinct links to livelihoods, health, education, security and social and family stability. The housing factor acts as a social centre for family and friends, a source of pride and cultural identity and a resource that commands both political and economic importance. Therefore, addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities should be seen as a mode to promote resilience and sustainable communities. Instead, the consideration of housing needs merely as a physical need results in many issues to the communities, including no access to livelihood, poor living condition, health problems, lack of financial independence, lack of social satisfaction and social cohesion, and sometimes even recreates and worsens the existing vulnerabilities of displaced communities. Within this context, this paper investigates the factors to consider when addressing the housing needs of the displaced communities, promoting resilience and sustainable communities.

Emerging research has begun to examine associations between relationship functioning and sleep. However, these studies have largely relied on self-reported evaluations of relationships and/or of sleep, which may be vulnerable to bias. The purpose of the study was to examine associations between relationship functioning and sleep in military couples. This is the first research to examine associations between observed relationship behaviors and subjective and polysomnographically measured sleep in a sample at-risk for both sleep and relationship problems. The sample included 35 military veterans and their spouses/partners. Marital functioning was coded from a videotaped conflict interaction. Analyses focused on behavioral codes of hostility and relationship-enhancing attributions. Sleep was assessed via self-report and in-home polysomnography. Greater hostility was associated with poorer sleep efficiency for oneself (b=-0.195, p=.013). In contrast, greater relationship-enhancing attributions were associated with higher percentages of stage N3 sleep (b=0.239, p=.028). Partners' hostility was also positively associated with higher percentages of stage N3 sleep (b=0.272, p=.010). Neither hostility nor relationship-enhancing attributions was associated with self-reported sleep quality, percentage of REM sleep, or total sleep time. Both partners' positive and negative behaviors during conflict interactions were related to sleep quality. These findings highlight the role that effective communication and conflict resolution skills may play in shaping not only the marital health of veterans and their spouses but also the physical health of both partners as well. Understanding the links between relationship functioning and sleep may be important targets of intervention in the aftermath of war.

Understanding marriage and stress: Essential questions and challenges

Abstract.FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONALITY AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN MARRIED COUPLESTheory and research suggest that the personality characteristics that each spouse brings to a relationship are related to marital and life satisfaction. Furthermore, a variety of studies have shown that Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness are strongly related to relationship satisfaction, which in turn benefits spouses’ satisfaction with life in general. Regarding family functioning, familial cohesion, defined as the degree of togetherness or closeness or emotional bonding that family members have toward one another, was found to be correlated with inter-personal well-being and satisfaction in adults. On the one hand, there haven‘t been specific study yet which investigate the influence of personality characteristics of family members and spouses on individual well-being mediated by family and marital functioning. On the other hand, analyses looking at gender differences are inconsistent. Until now, there haven’t been found any consistent indications regarding similar vs. dissimilar partner’s personality characteristics to be predictors of satisfaction in married couples. The present study aims to identify the personality effects on family functioning and spouses’ life satisfaction, as well as gender differences. One hundred eighty-seven married couples (N=374) completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), “Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale” (FACES III) y the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The data were analysed using paired sample t-test, ANOVAs, bivariate correlations and multiple regressions. The results indicated significant associations between spouses’ satisfaction with life, personality traits and family functioning revealing different patterns for wife and husband. Spouses’ personality traits and familial cohesion were found to be significant predictors of satisfaction. We conclude that couples resemble each other psychologically but the relationship that we found between the evaluated variables has greater relevance for women than for their husbands.Keywords: Life satisfaction, Big Five personality, Family functioning, Gender differences, Married couplesResumen.Los estudios sobre las parejas casadas señalan que las características de personalidad de cada uno de los cónyuges, están relacionadas con la satisfacción en la pareja. Las investigaciones indican que Neuroticismo, Amabilidad y Responsabilidad son los factores de personalidad relacionados con la satisfacción matrimonial, que a su vez promueve la satisfacción vital de los cónyuges en general. Con respecto al funcionamiento familiar, la dimensión de cohesión familiar, definida como vínculos afectivos entre los miembros de la familia, ha sido identificada como variable predictora del bienestar subjetivo. Las investigaciones específicas sobre la influencia que tienen los rasgos de personalidad de las parejas casadas sobre el funcionamiento familiar y marital son escasas. Tampoco existen resultados concluyentes sobre las diferencias de género, y la importancia de personalidades similares vs. diferentes como predictores de la satisfacción en la pareja. El objetivo del estudio es identificar la influencia de las características de personalidad y del funcionamiento familiar sobre la satisfacción con la vida en las relaciones de pareja, así como especificar las diferencias de género. Los participantes fueron 187 parejas casadas (N=374) con edades comprendidas entre los 27 y 54 años que complementaron el “Big Five Inventory“ (BFI-10), la Escala de la Cohesión y Adaptabilidad Familiar (CAF) y la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida (SWLS). Se realizaron pruebas t de Student para muestras relacionadas, análisis de varianzas, correlaciones bivariadas de Pearson y análisis de regresión lineal múltiple. Los resultados indican que existen asociaciones significativas entre personalidad, funcionamiento familiar y satisfacción con patrones diferentes para mujeres y hombres. Así como que existen diferencias de género en la predicción de la variable satisfacción. Concluimos que las parejas se parecen entre sí a nivel psicológico, pero la relación entre las variables evaluadas tiene una mayor relevancia para las mujeres que para sus maridos.Palabras clave: Satisfacción con la vida, Cinco Grandes de Personalidad, Funcionamiento familiar, Diferencias de género, Parejas casadas

A cohesive society is not only characterised by the availability of basic services and facilities, but also promotes economic equality and inclusion, democracy, and social solidarity. Forced displacement due to disasters and conflict constantly disrupt the path to a sustainable and cohesive society. Displaced communities often struggle with a lack of access to livelihood and a lack of financial independence and social and family stability. With these challenges, a lack of provision of basic services and facilities will create a competition for housing, health, and education between the displaced and host communities. Additionally, the economic competition for jobs and the role of international aid in terms of fairness create social tension between the displaced and the host. Likewise, multiple aspects weaken the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. Within this context, we investigated approaches to enhance social cohesion following disaster-induced and conflict-induced displacement. With the identification of this research need, the research team of the project titled REGARD (REbuild-inG AfteR Displacement) conducted 47 in-depth interviews in four partner countries (U.K., Sweden, Estonia, and Sri Lanka) with community representatives, social support networks, agency networks, officials, etc. Moreover, focus group discussions were conducted with community members in Sri Lanka. The collected data were analysed through a qualitative data analysis procedure. The findings present eight approaches to strengthen the social cohesion between displaced and host communities. These eight approaches include the adequate provision of basic services and facilities without limiting the capacity of the host, support services aimed at local integration, economic integration between the displaced and host, and social cohesion through the built environment.