Long-term Marriages Research Articles

백제 왕실의 혼인 형태와 왕비·왕자의 지위 변화

This article attempted to divide the marriage type of the Baekje royal family focusing on Hanseong Period. And in this regard, the change in the status of queens and princes was reviewed. The Baekje royal family had long-term marriages with some aristocrats. The Baekje royal family had the purpose of uniting Baekje society and the aristocrats were given the right to produce a queens by joining in. The Baekje royal family also married other countries. Marriage with other countries prioritized diplomatic purposes because compared to marriage to Baekje aristocrats, the obligation to hold ancestral rites was not greater. King Gaero had a same surname marrige once. This should be understood as part of the strengthening of King Gaero's royal authority. Baekje's royal family generally preferred the opposite surname marriage. As a result, there was a difference in status between the queens. 后 and 夫人 began to be distinguished in the mid-to-late Hanseong Period. The status between the queens also influenced the status of their children, and the distinction between 嫡 and 庶 was formed.

Jointly Negotiated Conflict Resolution Strategies of Couples in Long-Term Marriages: A Qualitative Study

Jointly Negotiated Conflict Resolution Strategies of Couples in Long-Term Marriages: A Qualitative Study

Late-life divorce and familyhood interplaying: a familial and dyadic perspective

Abstract Late-life divorce is a growing phenomenon in the Western world, likely to expand due to increasing expectancy and changes in marital and family values. However, existing research on divorce and its consequences for offspring focuses on young and middle-aged adults, analysing individual rather than familial/dyadic perspectives. Accordingly, our study employs a holistic perspective on the family unit following late-life divorce which is especially relevant to societies that value familism as an essential element in individuals' lives. Coincidingly, the term familyhood expresses an atmosphere of closeness and unity among family members and is a commonly used expression in Israel. Using family systems as a framework, our aim was to examine how, if at all, familyhood is experienced after divorce considering how it was experienced prior to divorce from a long-term marriage in Israel. Semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 72) were conducted separately with divorcees aged 60–81 who divorced at age 56–68 (N = 44), and with their adult children aged 19–40 at the time of their parents' divorce (N = 28). Interviews were given thematic analysis and dyadic qualitative analysis. The findings reveal the meaningfulness of familyhood following late-life divorce via a fourfold typology of familyhood continuity/change experienced as present or lacking, before or after divorce. The typology addresses key elements of when, where, by whom and how familyhood is reconstructed, along with strategies to maintain familyhood. Paradoxes inherent in the intersection of divorce and familyhood, discussed within the Israeli sociocultural context, are located between self-determination and familism. Implications are presented.

Why now? Late-life divorce timing process: Dyadic and individual perspectives

Late-life divorce is increasing in the Western world, including among family-oriented societies like Israel in which the most common family status for older adults (age 60 years and older) is being in a heterosexual long-term marriage with adult children. Within a life-course framework, we use both dyadic and individual interview analysis to explore the process that led to the timing of late-life divorce. Understanding this process from dyadic and individual perspectives could strengthen knowledge regarding this expanding phenomenon in family-oriented societies and could contribute to developing targeted interventions and policies for such couples. Semi-structured interviews were conducted separately with 44 heterosexual ex-spouses comprised of 10 dyads ( n = 20) and 24 individuals ( n = 13 women; n = 11 men). The divorces were mostly after age 60 and followed a long-term marriage with children. Two themes emerged from the analysis: the long-term phase of divorce delay despite longstanding motivations, and the moment of final decision with its various background accelerators. The discussion addresses intersections between personal time, family time, and social/cultural time related to divorce, and between intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects. Implications for family gerontology are presented.

Prevalence of Intimate Partner’s Violence (IPV): A Demographical Analysis of Women Residing in Shelter Homes

The study investigated the prevalence of intimate partner’s violence (IPV) through the analysis of key demographical factors among women who sought refuge in shelter homes. This quantitative cross sectional research was conducted on the sample of 110 sheltered women (ages between 16 to 65 years) from the 10 different shelter homes (Dar-ul-Aman) of the Punjab, Pakistan. Sample was drawn through purposive sampling technique. HITS (Sherin et al., 1998a), was used for assessment of IPV along with a customised demographic sheet and consent form. The quantitative analysis revealed that that the ratio of IPV is significantly higher in arranged/forced marriages as compared to love marriages (p =.042*), additionally, husbands having extra-marital affairs abuse their partners more (p = .049*) as compare to the husbands having no extra-marital affair. It was also revealed that there are no significant difference in geographical boundaries in facing the IPV, both urban and rural women are being the victim of IPV equally (p = .327). Furthermore, it was also evidenced on the basis of significant positive correlation that the ratio of IPV will increase gradually (r = .263**) with the increasing years of marriage, it can be concluded that women in long-term marriages are more prone to IPV and there is a need to address the issue more closely in long term marriages.

My Husband and Me

Do you owe your spouse sex? Is it ethical to replace a human relationship with an artificial one? A woman writes to an advice columnist about her marital struggles due to her diminished sex drive after a hysterectomy. Her husband, still sexually active, purchases a lifelike doll designed to resemble his wife’s younger self. The story explores themes of intimacy, desire, and the challenges of maintaining a long-term marriage when faced with changing needs and desires.

MARITAL CLOSENESS, SPOUSAL SIMILARITY, AND COGNITION: THE GENDERED IMPACT OF DISCORDANT PERCEPTIONS

Abstract Many older adults are in long-term marriages, and an emerging literature examines the impact of marital attributes on later-life cognitive function. While both spouses’ perceptions of the marital relationship may influence health outcomes in the couple, most research only captures one partner’s report. Using unique data on 2,791 heterosexual married couples from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyze the dyad’s evaluations of their similarity and closeness in 2004 and the impact of concordance or discordance in these marital attributes on cognitive health in 2020, when participants were approximately 80 years old and cognitive variation is more manifest. Results from OLS regressions reveal notable gender differences. Compared with dyads in which both spouses reported being “very similar,” women in marriages with discordant views on the partners’ similarity had significantly lower cognition in 2020 (wife gave the poorer rating: b=-0.74, p<.05; husband gave the poorer rating: b=-0.84, p<.05). Men’s cognitive function was not influenced by assessments of similarity in the couple. Furthermore, compared with dyads in which both spouses reported being “very close,” men in marriages with discordant views on the partners’ closeness had significantly lower cognition in 2020 (woman gave the poorer rating: b= -0.88, p < .05). Women’s cognitive function was unrelated to dyadic reports of closeness. Our results suggest that within-couple discordance in assessment of marital closeness and spousal similarity – more than marital attributes themselves – influences later-life cognitive function for women and men in varied ways.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Treatment and Management of Burnout on Emotional Experience towards Spouse in Married Women

Objective: This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of transdiagnostic treatment and marital burnout management on the emotional experience towards the spouse in married women of Isfahan. Materials and Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, follow-up design. The statistical population consisted of married women with a minimum of 10 years of marital life. Forty-eight individuals were selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. While the control group received no training, the experimental groups each underwent 10 sessions of 90 minutes according to the respective protocols (Unified transdiagnostic Treatment by Barlow et al., (2010) and the Marital Burnout Management Training Package by the authors. All three groups filled out the Emotional Experience Towards Spouse Questionnaire in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test) with SPSS-25. Findings: The results indicated that both transdiagnostic treatment and marital burnout management, as compared to the control group, significantly reduced overall negative emotional experience and increased positive emotional experience towards the spouse. However, in reducing negative emotional experience, transdiagnostic treatment was more effective. Conclusion: Both transdiagnostic treatment and marital burnout management are effective in improving the emotional climate in marital relationships of women experiencing long-term marriages. They contribute significantly to reducing negative emotions and fostering positive emotional experiences towards the spouse. Transdiagnostic treatment, in particular, shows greater efficacy in diminishing negative emotional experiences, indicating its potential as a robust approach in marital interventions. These findings underscore the importance of applying targeted therapeutic approaches to enhance marital satisfaction and emotional well-being

"How did you stay together so long?" Relationship longevity, a cross-generational qualitative study.

This global qualitative study adopted a cross-generational approach considering key factors contributing to relationship longevity. Relatively few studies consider factors leading to relationship longevity as articulated by couples themselves, and there is a paucity of research considering young couples' questions regarding relationship longevity. This study has two sample groups. In sample one (n = 137) we asked individuals in relationship of 3-15 years questions they would ask couples in marriages of 40+ years. We then asked our second sample of coupled individuals married 40+ years (n = 180) these questions. The primary question from the younger couples to couples in long-term marriages regarded their "secret" to relationship longevity. This study focuses on this one question and coupled individuals' self-articulation of their "secrets" to relationship longevity. The top seven were (1) commitment, (2) altruism, (3) shared values, (4) good communication, (5) compromise: give and take, (6) love, and (7) never give up. The clinical implications for couple therapists are discussed.

Later-Life Functionality in Married Women: The Mediating Role of Self-Perpetuating BMI and Pain Trajectories.

The current study investigated how pain and BMI trajectories mediate the influence of family stress (1991-1994) on later-life impaired functionality (2017) in women. The study used prospective data from 244 mid-older rural Midwest Caucasian women who were in long-term marriages over a span of 27 years. Within the structural equation framework, the analytical model used latent constructs of family stress and trajectories of pain and BMI to predict later-life functionality. BMI and pain trajectories mutually influenced each other in forming a self-perpetuating cycle over time in mid-older women. Further, midlife family stress shaped BMI and pain trajectories, and these trajectories had consequences for later-life functionality, as defined by three kinds of impairments: physical, cognitive (subjective memory), and social (loneliness). The findings emphasize the need for policies and interventions that focus on reducing women's stressful family circumstances in middle years to weaken and redirect their association with BMI and pain trajectories.

Burden and Psychological Distress in Caregivers of Persons with Addictions

Addiction is a complex psychosocial problem that has significant psychosocial effects on family members. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the burden and psychological distress suffered by caregivers of drug abusers. Ninety-nine caregivers of hard drug addicts participated in this study. The test group consisted of 50 participants and the control group had 49 participants. The participants filled out the General Demographic Questionnaire; Caregiving and the Experience of Subjective and Objective Burden; SCL-90-R; and WHOQOL-BREF. Caregivers of addicts who were preparing to join the community exhibited a significantly higher objective burden, subjective burden, subjective stress burden and greater psychological distress in comparison to caregivers of addicts in the community, and their quality of life was poorer (p < 0.001). The following showed to be risk factors for psychological distress: families with a greater number of children, marital, employment and economic status and duration of addiction. The protective factors were better quality of life, long-term marriage and higher education level of caregivers. Caring for addicts who are living with their families is a significant responsibility and burden for caregivers.

To Be or Not to Be: Advice From Long-Term Spouses in a Mixed Methods Study

Marriage has been a topic of analysis for decades, supported by countless funders such as the government and the Healthy Marriage Initiative. With time, marriage has become less of a societal standard despite overwhelming research supporting its value for adults, children, and society. With the idea that factors that create satisfaction may not be the same ones that result in long-term success, this study uniquely aimed to get the perspectives of those who have been married for 20 or more years. This study's purpose is to record the wisdom on marriage coming from generations of largely successful individuals through anonymous online surveys. Educational level and marital satisfaction are both associated with participants reporting that their marriage is important to their life satisfaction. While infidelity, raising children, health problems, finances, and loss were the struggles most reported, hard work and commitment were reported as the most important needs to come back from difficult times within long-term marriages. Successful, long-term marriages exist as a product of choices of both individuals.

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

Late-life remarriage is one form of repartnering later in life, a phenomenon that has developed with the increase in life expectancy and other modernization processes, such as the shift from an extended to a nuclear family structure. Knowledge on the phenomenon of repartnering is based on research conducted mainly within Western societies living by individualistic values. It has also been studied in societies such as Israel, which value self-determination alongside familism. How the phenomenon is experienced within a more patriarchal, collectivist society undergoing modernization processes, such as the Arab Muslim society in Israel, is yet to be explored. The aim was to understand the meaning of late-life remarriage and how it is experienced among older Arab Muslim widowers in Israel who remarried at old age after a long-term marriage and raising a family. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 Arab Muslim widowers aged 70–80 at time of remarriage, to never-married, middle-aged women. Three themes were identified: The first theme addresses motivations for remarriage, the second theme examines continuity and change from a lifelong marriage, and the third theme refers to the meaning they attribute to their current wife. Each theme addresses participants’ inner world, their relationship with spouse and offspring, and their perception of the society they belong to. Conclusions address late-life remarriage as a solution for older widowers to receive care within the extended collectivist family. Thus, the phenomenon reflects a reaction to modernization processes alongside a way to preserve patriarchal gender roles.

Intimate Partner Violence Incidents and Solutions Reported by Turkish Couples in Long-Term Marriages: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This qualitative study investigates the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and the duration of marriage in the Turkish context and explores spouses’ perceptions, experiences, and solutions concerning IPV. Participants were thirty Turkish couples married for twenty or more years. Data collection tools were a semi-structured interview, observation notes taken during the interview, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Data analysis showed that psychological violence was the most reported type, while sexual and economic violence was not reported in long-term marriages. Only a few instances of physical violence were reported during the first years of marriage. Regarding gender, the perpetrators of physical IPV were all men except for only one case, while both men and women were the perpetrators and victims of psychological violence. Spouses’ proposed solutions for IPV were identify­ing the determinants of IPV, encouraging religious and values education, solving economic problems, building communication and patience, learning respect, responsibility, and love; or getting divorced. The study suggests some implications for professionals.

Midlife financial strain and later-life health and wellbeing of husbands and wives: Linking and moderating roles of couple intimacy trajectories.

This study investigates (a) heterogeneous trajectories of couple intimacy over the mid-later years (average ages of 40-65) and (b) how these intimacy classes are differentially associated with spouses' midlife financial strain as well as their later-life health and wellbeing outcomes. The sample was comprised of white couples in long-term marriages from the rural Mid-west who experienced the economic downturn of the farm crisis in late 1980s. Couple-level measures of emotional intimacy and sexual intimacy were created by summing husbands' and wives' reports. Using growth mixture modeling with a sample of 304 couples, conjoint intimacy classes were identified from trajectories of couple emotional intimacy and sexual intimacy. Three qualitatively different latent intimacy classes of couples were identified: Consistently High, Moderate and Increasing, and Chronically Low. Intimacy classes were differentially associated with midlife financial strain and later-life health and wellbeing. Spouses with consistently high and moderate and increasing intimacy in their mid-later years averaged lower financial strain in early midlife and better health and wellbeing outcomes in later years (>67years) compared to those with consistently low intimacy after controlling for lagged health measures. The identification of couple intimacy trajectory groups provides a potentially useful prognostic tool for counseling efforts that can promote and develop resiliency factors to aid in the redirection of adverse couple intimacy trajectories.

Professional Support After Partner Loss: Likelihood and Correlates of Help-Seeking Behavior.

Intimate partner loss in later life can be one of the most stressful events in adulthood. Individuals who struggle to adapt to the new life conditions may need support from a mental health professional. However, less is known about the likelihood to seek professional help after separation, divorce, or bereavement in later life and associated factors. This study investigated professional help-seeking (PHS) for partner loss after a long-term marriage in separated, divorced, and bereaved individuals and examined the extent to which specific person and event-related variables, as well as depressive symptoms, increase its likelihood. The data were derived from the LIVES “Intimate Partner Loss Study.” The self-administered questionnaires were completed by 388 adults. PHS was higher after separation (57%) and divorce (49%), compared to widowhood (18%). Higher likelihood of PHS was associated with separation and divorce, female gender, having someone to count on, loss unexpectedness, needing more time to overcome the loss, and more depressive symptoms. Informing individuals unlikely to seek help (e.g., males, bereaved, and individuals with no confidant) about PHS benefits may facilitate adaptation to partner loss.

Dyadic Experiences of Love in Late-Life Repartnering Relationships

Love is desired at any age and has many meanings. Formulating new partner relationships later in life includes love as a motivation. However, experiences of love as a concept within such relationships have yet to be examined. Such an investigation could contribute to further understanding the meaning of love within new relationships formulated later in life. Thirty-eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews with older adults (19 couples) who entered a new relationship at old age after widowhood or divorce following a long-term marriage were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Dyadic interview analysis methodology was used. Unique experiences of love were identified: (1) Kinds of love: (a) pleasant love—not heated, (b) parental love—deep and quiet, and (c) sibling love; (2) phases of love: (a) being in love, (b) partial love, and (c) falling out of love yet caring. The discussion addresses late-life repartnering love as exclusive and as shifting from passion to compassion.

Sanctified Sexual Relationships in Marriage: Reflections from Religious Wives and Husbands

Background Religion and sex are both prominent elements of most people's lives. Most adults view both religion and sex as quite important in their lives. However, some research indicates that religion may negatively impact individuals’ perspectives on sex. Purpose We examined highly religious individuals’ spontaneous comments of the role of religion and sex in their lives and looked for themes in how sex and religion may be associated. Methods We conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews using a racially and ethnically diverse sample consisting of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish families comprised of 198 married heterosexual couples based on conjoint interviews with the husbands and wives. Couples were in long-term marriages (average 20 years) were interviewed together when most (93%) were in their 40s and 50s in 2001–2010. The topic of the nexus of religion and sexual relationships was not on the interview questionnaire but still surfaced in many of the interviews. Results We analyzed participants’ comments related to sex and found six themes that revealed these religious families’ perspectives on the purpose of sex, including: 1. The sanctity of sex; 2. The expression of sex is limited to marriage; 3. Sex strengthens the marriage; 4. Sex is for procreation; 5. Sex is just one component of a strong marriage; and 6. Religious beliefs can be damaging. Implications and applications are discussed. Conclusions and Implications This study also illustrates that how individuals, marriages, and families interpret and apply the teachings of their respective religion may have more to do with the influence of religion than their particular denomination or their religious attendance. Sexuality was viewed as a covenant, a higher purpose, a form of worship, or even a way to make God happy, but only within the bonds of marriage. Couples identified their sexual relationship with Godly characteristics and this provided a sense of power and sanctification. These findings may provide needed insight to religious couples about how and why sex and religion blend or create conflict.

Midlife family financial strain, sense of control and pain in later years: An investigation of rural husbands and wives.

Research focussing on individual biopsychosocial processes leading to physical pain as a health condition is rare. The present study investigated sense of control as a mechanism linking early midlife stress to later-life physical pain for husbands and wives in long-term marriages. Using data from 508 rural husbands and wives over 27 years (1991-2017) with respondents in their early middle years (<42 years on average) in 1991 and in their later years (>67 years on average) in 2017, this study utilized a comprehensive analytical model in an structural equation modelling framework. Family financial stress (FFS) trajectories in early middle years were associated with depleted sense of control, which was related to increased physical pain in later years after controlling for concurrent physical illness, family income and age. In cross-lagged analyses FFS influenced physical pain over mid-later years. Physical pain also influenced FFS, suggesting a bi-directional association between FFS and physical pain. Findings elucidate how early midlife FFS influences the progression of physical pain over mid-later years through sense of control. Findings suggest effective intervention and prevention programs should focus on FFS in early years of adulthood as well as the maintenance and development of adults' sense of control.

The keys to a good and lasting marriage: Exploration of Iranian couple's experiences.

BACKGROUND AND AIM:Marital satisfaction is a multidimensional phenomenon, which refers to the quality of marital relationship, or the general view of marriage status and reflection of happiness and marital performance. Repetition of certain positive behaviors can make a huge difference in the success of continued married life, and that awareness of such behaviors seems to be critical to recognizing certain warnings. Therefore, this study with qualitative approach conducted to promoting long-term marital satisfaction by exploring couple's experiences.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study was conducted using descriptive phenomenology method. The participants were 12 person (six couples) with a history of 20–30 years of married life expectancy and a marital satisfaction score of above 65. The data were collected by purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews, analyzed using Colaizzi method. By categorizing the codes, subcategories, and main categories were extracted.RESULTS:An analysis of the experiences of the participants resulted in emergence of eight subcategories, and three main categories: “Strong Foundation For Living Together,” “Mutual Commitment To Protecting Marital Cohesion,” and “Striving To Improve Sexual Relations.”CONCLUSIONS:A long-term marriage associated with a variety of variables, including a strong foundation for living together, a mutual commitment to protect marital cohesion, and an effort to improve sexuality. And the results showed that the type of relationship will change during the years after marriage in a way that takes on certain meanings and concepts and can be interpreted in physiological, cultural and other specific contexts.