Lower Marital Quality Research Articles

The consequences of spousal infidelity for long-term chronic health: A two-wave longitudinal analysis

Objective: Research links low marital quality to poor mental and physical health, but the impact of spousal infidelity on long-term chronic health, especially using longitudinal data, is understudied. The present work investigates whether infidelity predicted long-term chronic health, and whether demographic factors and support or strain from friends or family moderated this relationship. Methods: Using longitudinal data from 2579 adults from the United States (1093 males, 1486 females; Mage = 57.17, Medianage = 56, SDage = 12.26, age range: 33–84 years), we examined associations between partner infidelity and chronic health conditions across two timepoints (T1: 2004–2006, T2: 2013–2014). We analyzed participants’ history of partner infidelity at T1 and its relationship with chronic health through mixed models as well as latent variable structural equation modelling. We also examined whether supportive relationships and demographic variables moderated these associations. Results: Controlling for demographic covariates (age, gender, education, ethnicity, employment, marital status, marital satisfaction and income level), infidelity was linked to poorer chronic health in mixed model analyses ( p < .001), and this finding was also supported in latent variable analyses that controlled for baseline chronic health ( p = .003). Additionally, moderation analyses found that the impact of infidelity on chronic health was larger among low-income individuals and ethnic minorities. Conclusion: Partner infidelity has lasting detrimental associations with chronic health that are not mitigated by positive relationships. The research highlights the potential long-term health implications of partner infidelity and suggests the need for interventions to mitigate such negative effects.

Marital quality in a context of displacement: the role of union formation characteristics among Syrian refugee and Jordanian youth

Marital quality is an important determinant of well-being and is related to how unions are formed. Both processes of union formation and marital relationships may be influenced by stressful conditions, including insecurity and displacement. We leverage unique representative data on young Syrian refugees in Jordan to learn more about the interplay between displacement, union formation characteristics and marital quality. Through comparisons with youth from the Jordanian host population, we assess the role of key contextual predictors of marital quality, such as consanguinity and young people’s role in choosing their spouse, with a focus on gender differences. We measure marital quality with six separate items capturing aspects of equality, respect and interpersonal communication and a unidimensional scale identified through exploratory factor analysis. Results show that consanguinity, marital duration and number of children are generally unrelated to marital quality in both populations. In contrast, involvement in spouse choice emerges as the strongest predictor, with both Syrians and Jordanians in family-arranged unions experiencing lower-quality marriages. Among Syrians, women suffer more from lower marital quality, especially when arranged unions happen at a young age, and marriages formed after displacement to Jordan appear more fragile. The study is one of the first to explore predictors of marital quality in a non-Western, conflict-affected population. The findings emphasise the importance of the demographic study of family dynamics in situations of insecurity and displacement moving beyond a narrow focus on marriage timing to cover a wider range of marriage outcomes related to family well-being.

A qualitative study on perspective of parental stress and lower marital quality among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifetime neurodevelopmental condition. It affects not only the child but also the members of the family and parents particularly. The current study was qualitative in nature, designed to explore the experiences of parents, raising a child with ASD in Pakistan. The sample of the study comprised 15 mothers and 13 fathers of children with ASD. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and five stages of stress and six major themes (Child management and diagnosis, Treatment and financial challenges, Social suffering, Emotional and psychological pain, Marital discord and Coping mechanism) emerged from the data. In the current study, parents of children with ASD reported lack of guidance, high fee demands, lack of awareness, family pressure, high level of stress and stigmatization. Parents also suffered from unbearable distress and marital discords including conflict, disharmony, lack of communication, and lack of spousal support. Parents deemed these challenges as never ending and it had a great impact on their wellbeing and on their abilities to cope or manage things in their daily life. This research project has wide implications in the fields of counseling psychology, educational psychology, and mental health.

In sickness and in health: Loneliness, depression, and the role of marital quality among spouses of persons with dementia.

Older adults married to persons living with dementia (PLwD) may be at risk for loneliness and depression. We assessed the prevalence of loneliness and depressive symptoms among spouses of PLwD or cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND), and the role of marital quality in mediating these outcomes. We used a US population-based sample of 4071 couples enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study (2014 and 2016). We included older adults married to PLwD (N = 227), married to persons with CIND (N = 885), or married to persons with no cognitive impairment (NCI) (N = 2959). We determined the prevalence of loneliness (UCLA 3-item scale), depressive symptoms (CESD-8 scale), and both, using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. We then tested for interaction terms between marital quality (4-item scale) and degree of spousal cognitive impairment for each outcome of loneliness and depressive symptoms. The sample was 55% women and on average 67-years-old (range: 50-97). After adjustment, spouses of persons with cognitive impairment were more likely to be lonely (NCI: 20%, CIND: 23%, PLwD: 29%; p = 0.04), depressed (NCI: 8%, CIND: 15%, PLwD: 14%; p < 0.01), and both (NCI: 4%, CIND: 9%, PLwD: 7%; p < 0.01). The association between cognition and loneliness, but not depression, differed by marital quality (interaction p-value = 0.03). Among couples with high marital quality, spousal cognitive impairment was associated with higher likelihood of loneliness (p < 0.05). In contrast, no association existed between spousal cognition and loneliness among couples with lower marital quality (p = 0.37). One in six spouses of persons with CIND or more advanced disease (PLwD) experienced depressive symptoms, and loneliness among spouses of PLwD was experienced at a twofold rate. By identifying and managing both, and facilitating interventions that promote high-quality social connection, clinical teams might improve the lives of older couples facing dementia.

Exploring the Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of Two Stepfamily Measures for Japanese Couples

ABSTRACT We examined the validity of the Japanese versions of the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies and the Remarriage Belief Inventory in Japan where social and cultural patterns of divorce and remarriage are substantially different from the West. Participants were 548 married Japanese individuals in stepfamilies. Both scales’ validity, factor structure, and internal consistency were confirmed. The links between remarriage beliefs, marital adjustment and various challenges experienced by couples in stepfamilies were examined. Stepparents’ belief that success is slim was associated with biological parents’ low marital quality and the difficulties they experienced as spouses. Biological fathers’ belief that adjustment should come quickly was related to stepmothers’ difficulties in fulfilling the social and family dimension in stepfamilies.

Factors Affecting Online Infidelity: A Review

Online infidelity has been a topic of discussion for the past two decades. Hence, while it is on the agenda of current researches, the associated factors of online infidelity have not yet been sufficiently clarified. The current review examines factors affecting online infidelity in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. In the review the studies were included considering the criteria of (i) being an empirical study, (ii) being written in Turkish or English, (iii) being published in peer-reviewed journals (iv), evaluating at least one factor that may affect online infidelity. Eight studies which include factors affecting online infidelity were examined and the findings of these studies were evaluated. More positive attitudes towards infidelity, lower relationship commitment, higher quality of alternative partners, lower marital quality, higher loneliness, lower relationship satisfaction, higher relationship uncertainty, anxious and avoidant attachment, and being in a strong position were found significantly associated with online infidelity.

Reciprocal influences between marital quality, parenting stress, and parental depression in Chinese families of children with oppositional defiant disorder symptoms

An increasing body of research showed families with ODD children struggle with impaired quality of family interactions, such as low marital quality and high parenting stress. Yet relatively little is known about their interplay in families of children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms. To examine longitudinal, reciprocal associations, we utilize a three-year, cross-lagged design with a sample of 340 Chinese families of children with ODD symptoms. We also examined the role of parental depression. Marital quality, parenting stress, and parental depression were measured at each wave (T1, T2, and T3) across three years. Results support the “spillover” hypothesis in both directions, such that parenting stress significantly and directly predicts low marital quality, and impaired marital quality predicts parenting stress largely through parental depression. Our findings clearly evidenced the reciprocal relationship between marital and parent-child relationship, and further revealed two different processes for their interplays, among families of children with ODD symptoms. The present study extended the prior understanding of associations between marital and parent-child subsystems and provided suggestions for enhancing the quality of whole family life for families of children with ODD symptoms.

Marital Quality as a Moderator of the Association Between Sensory Impairments and Cognitive Functioning

Research suggests that marital quality may buffer the impact of sensory impairments in later life, and that marital quality relates to cognitive functioning. This study explored how marital quality moderated links between sensory impairments and cognitive functioning. We used data from 723 paired marital dyads from two cohorts in the NHATS and NSOC studies across three-year periods (n=340 dyads from waves 1, 2, 3; n=383 dyads from waves 5, 6, 7). Growth curve models of executive functioning indicated that marital quality moderated effects of both hearing and vision impairment on changes in cognitive functioning longitudinally. Specifically, higher marital quality was associated with higher executive functioning across time. Results suggested no improvement in executive functioning among those with average or lower marital quality. Although cognition declines with advanced age and with sensory impairments, results suggest that older adults with higher marital quality may improve in some aspects of cognition longitudinally.

Upward social comparison on mobile social media and depression: The mediating role of envy and the moderating role of marital quality

BackgroundThe use of mobile social media enables individuals to learn about others’ lives, which may lead to upward social comparison. Evidence has shown that upward social comparison on mobile social media can have negative effect for individuals’ mental health, such as a higher risk of depression. Previous studies on this issue have mainly focused on adolescents and college students, but less on married adults’ well-being. Moreover, mechanisms underlying this association have not been well-documented. MethodsA total of 514 Chinese married adults (62% female) were recruited from 26 regions in China. They completed measures of upward social comparison on mobile social media, envy, marriage quality and depression. ResultsThe results showed a positive association between upward social comparison on mobile social media and depression, which was completely mediated by envy. The direct effect of upward social comparison on depression, and the relation between upward social comparison and envy, were both moderated by marital quality. More specifically that upward social comparison on mobile social media was more strongly associated with depression and envy in adults with lower marital quality. LimitationsThis study only focused on the interpersonal factor (i.e., marriage quality) as a moderating variable, not investigating the potential moderating roles of personality factors and other interpersonal factors. In addition, the cross-sectional in design could not examine the causal relationships among the variables. ConclusionsHigh marriage quality can protect married adults from the adverse effects of upward social comparison on mobile social media.

Empty-nest-related psychosocial stress: Conceptual issues, future directions in economic crisis

Τhe empty-nest syndrome is a transitional stage, when middle-aged parents are in the process of encouraging their children to take up their obligations as adults. The empty-nest syndrome is a psychological condition that affects both parents, who experience feelings of grief, loss, fear, inability, difficulty in adjusting roles, and change of parental relationships, when children leave the parental home. Τhis syndrome has gained special interest in a world where the current economic crisis has not only deepened global poverty but also a crisis of values reflected in the dynamic model of the family. The purpose of this review was to appraise the impact of psychosocial stress of the empty- nest syndrome on the parents' well-being through the years, during the current socio-economic crisis, taking into account gender, national and cultural background, socio-demographic and other context factors. We addressed the phenomenon of the "Boomerang Kids" and crowded nests as a result of current financial instability. Finally, we focused on the strategies which the family can employ to retain their resilience, according to the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Family resilience framework and self-efficacy models. A literature review was conducted using web-based search engines provided by Medline, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane and PsychINFO. The term "empty nest syndrome'' was combined with women, men, economic crisis, parenthood, stress, menopause, midlife crisis, Boomerang kids, crowded nets, resilience, self-efficacy, wellbeing, and cultural differences. Women and men from diverse cultural groups have a different experience of the empty nest, as well as ways of coping. Distress caused by empty nest results in the incidence of symptoms of depression, behavioral symptoms and cognitive impairment. In most of studies, low marital quality and lack of social support affected negatively on a parent's well-being particularly for those experiencing the return of their "Boomerang kids". However, the financial crisis can transform an empty-nest into a "dynamic nest" by community health promotion services. Social support programs should be designed to strengthen family resource and improve family well-being.

Adaptation and Validation of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale in Bangla (R-DAS Bangla)

Background: The quality of marital relationships has been demonstrated to be an important indicator of adult, couple, and child well-being. There is considerable evidence that low marital quality is a significant risk factor for developing psychiatric disorders. The gold standard Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) is widely used to assess couple relationships and quality of marriage. Aim: The purpose of the study was to develop a culturally adapted and validated Bangla version of RDAS for Bangladeshi couples. Methods: The descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, during the period from July 2017 to June 2018. Total of 100 samples were taken. After taking informed consent, couple of both sex, aged > 18 were asked to complete the socio-demographic questionnaire and bangle version of RDAS. RDAS Bangla was applied by 2 raters for inter-rater reliability. Validity was assessed by content validity and factor analysis. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Results: Content validity was perfect as item-level content validity indexes (I-CVIs) were one except for two items and scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.90. In two factor model, no item had salient loading on more than one factor and there were no items that failed to load on either factor. Communalities were ranged from 0.39 to 0.87. Cronbach’s alpha value for R-DAS Bangla total, consensus, satisfaction and cohesion subscales were 0.85, 0.78, 0.80 and 0.62 respectively. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for inter-rater reliability were ranged from 0.68 to 0.97 and Cohen’s kappa was 0.89. All values represented that the R-DAS Bangla was valid and reliable scale. Conclusion: RDAS Bangla is a valid, reliable and useful scale for a assessing couple relationship and quality of marriage Bangladesh context.

Interpersonal manifestations of attachment avoidance: The moderating role of impostorism

Avoidant attachment is associated with numerous negative interpersonal outcomes. The current study tested whether self-perceptions of impostorism intensify negative interpersonal outcomes of attachment-related avoidance. One hundred and twenty-nine male Israeli veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War were assessed using self-report measures of attachment orientations (avoidance, anxiety), impostorism, beliefs about others' benevolence, marital quality, and loneliness. As hypothesized, hierarchical regressions revealed significant interactions of impostorism and attachment avoidance after accounting for main effects, showing that impostorism intensified the association between avoidant attachment, on the one hand, and more negative beliefs about others’ benevolence, lower marital quality, and heightened loneliness, on the other hand. The current study is among the first to systematically assess the relational implications of impostorism and suggests that high impostorism is a risk factor for aversive outcomes in the interpersonal realm, especially among highly attachment-avoidant people.

Change in Retirement Plans Among Midlife Couples During an Economic Recession.

Although research has investigated financial planning for retirement, less is known about how adults plan their retirement activities. Even less is known about couples' congruence and incongruence in retirement activities planning. The authors examined husband and wife reports of retirement plans across a 5-year period that involved a U.S. economic recession. Using data from 335 midlife couples who participated in the Flourishing Families project, retirement plans were grouped into five categories-family, leisure, volunteer, work, and uncertain. We estimated probit dyadic structural equation models to explore longitudinal predictors of retirement plans. Results indicated mean differences in retirement plans between husbands and wives, and also across time that might have been influenced by surrounding economics. Wife poor health, number of children, both spouses working, and financial assets were linked with the likelihood of reporting certainty in retirement plans. Greater retirement uncertainty was predicted by lower marital quality, higher financial adjustments, lower education, and ethnic diversity. Husband and wife reports of retirement plans are not always congruent, and plans in retirement can be affected by large scale changes in the U.S. economy.

The Impact of Military and Nonmilitary Experiences on Marriage: Examining the Military Spouse's Perspective.

There has been conflicting research regarding direct association between deployments and marital quality, particularly from the military spouse's perspective. In the current study, we sought to extend past research by examining the direct association between both military and nonmilitary experiences and military spouse marital quality using 2011-2013 baseline data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, a large sample of military couples representing all U.S. service branches and components. Military experiences were assessed using electronic deployment records to capture the number and length of deployments since 2001, and service members reported combat experience and symptoms indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Military spouses reported on service members' recent time away from home, nonmilitary family stressors, and marital quality. Results of the logistic regression model adjusted for demographic, relationship, and military covariates indicated that most military experiences did not have a direct statistical association with low marital quality except service member PTSD, odds ratio (OR) = 1.54, 95% CI [1.17, 2.04]. Rather, nonmilitary experiences of the military spouse, including lack of social support, OR = 2.68, 95% CI [2.07, 3.47]; caregiver burden, OR = 1.56, 95% CI [1.22, 1.99]; work-family conflict, OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.18, 1.69]; and financial strain, OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.03, 1.55], increased odds of low marital quality. Implications of these findings include providing additional supports to address nonmilitary family stressors that are particularly salient to military spouses with an aim to promote marital quality.

First daughter effects in Japan

Some influential studies suggest that a firstborn daughter is associated with (1) lower marital quality and (2) greater participation in the labor market by mothers. They also point out that a strong preference for sons among fathers may explain these first daughter effects. This study replicates these findings in large cities in Japan, where parents generally exhibit no son preference. In order to derive causal effects, I exploit quasi-random assignment of the firstborn child’s sex. The main results from two surveys consistently find sizable effects from the firstborn child’s sex on later marital life: a firstborn daughter is associated with an increased incidence of domestic violence between her father and mother. In addition, a firstborn daughter is associated with lower marital and family happiness among mothers. Concerning the effects of the firstborn child’s sex on maternal labor supply, mothers with a firstborn daughter were consistently found to exhibit a greater labor supply. Finally, I find statistically significant first daughter effects for many outcome variables among mothers but not fathers. The overall findings from this paper suggest that first daughter effects in Japan appear to be similar to those reported in countries with a strong parental son preference.

Is the Moderating Effect of Social Support on New Korean Mothers' Psychological Distress Contingent on Levels of Marital Quality?

This study examines how levels of marital quality change the effect of social support on postpartum psychological distress among new Korean mothers using the Panel Study on Korean Children (N = 1585). In accord with findings from previous studies, this study shows that low marital quality negatively affects new mothers' mental health, but that social support alleviates psychological distress independent of marital quality. The main finding of this research is that the moderating effect of social support is contingent on levels of marital quality. Aggregated social support moderates the effects of marital quality on new mothers' mental health only when the level of marital quality is low. Furthermore, each dimension of social support (emotional, informational, and instrumental) only has a moderating effect when marital quality is low. The findings highlight the fact that the moderating effect of social support varies with the individual context and so customized social support that fits individual needs matters for the mental health of new mothers.

Social class and mental distress in Greek urban communities during the period of economic recession.

This study draws on old and well-established evidence that economic change, and especially recession, affects people's lives, behavior and mental health. Even though the literature is rich on the relationship between unemployment and mental distress, there is a renewed research interest on the link between socio-economic inequalities and psychological health. The study investigates the relationship of social class with mental distress during the hard times of persistent and severe economic crisis in Greece by conducting a comparative, community study in the country's second largest city, Thessaloniki. A face-to-face structured interview covering living conditions, life events, chronic stressors and coping strategies was employed to 300 residents of socio-economically contrasting neighborhood areas. Social class was operationalized by Erik Olin Wright's social class position typology, based on ownership and control over productive assets. The method of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was also applied to analyze the collected data. The results indicated that mental distress was significantly differentiated across social classes and in each residential area. Unemployed and unskilled workers were the most vulnerable groups in terms of psychological health. Chronic stress arose in this study as a risk factor for poor mental health outcomes and it was associated to low marital quality, intense economic burden and impoverished housing conditions. Those who face income loss, job loss and disability are at high risk for poverty and marginalization, suffering from greater psychological distress.

Marital Quality and Social Functioning in spouses of individuals with and without Alcohol Dependence

Introduction: Alcohol is one of the leading substances abused worldwide. Alcohol affects the user’s ability to perceive, integrate and process information and can increase the user’s sense of personal power and domination over others especially their spouses. Alcohol addiction causes marital disharmony and instances of family violence leading to an unhealthy ambience in the family environment. This study intends to explore two important areas related to the spouses of alcohol addicted individuals i.e. marital quality and their social functioning. Methodology: Study Design: Cross sectional comparative study Venue: Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Samples: total sample size of the study was sixty; 30 participants were the spouses of Alcohol dependent (AD) who fulfilled the criteria of ICD-10-DCR and 30 participants were from normal population. Statistical measures: Descriptive statistics chi-square and independent samples’ T test used for comparison and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used for correlation. Results: Spouses of alcohol addicted individuals perceived significantly lesser marital quality and social functioning than the spouses of non-alcoholic individuals. There is positive relation between marital quality of life and social functioning of spouses of alcohol dependent individuals. Conclusion: Spouses of alcohol dependent individuals have lower marital quality as well as social functioning in comparison to spouses of individuals not dependent on alcohol. Keywords : Marital quality, social functioning, spouses, alcohol dependence

Role of Marital Quality in Explaining Depressive Symptoms After Marital Termination Among Older Adults

ABSTRACTThis study assesses whether prior marital quality moderates the impact of divorce or widowhood on subsequent depression. Poor marital quality may buffer depression associated with divorce/widowhood; conversely, the effect of divorce/widowhood on depression could be exacerbated by previous marital quality. Three waves from the National Survey of Families and Households based on respondents, ages 50 and older, (N = 2,570) included eight marital quality measures. We find limited evidence suggesting higher marital quality elevates, while lower marital quality decreases, depression after divorce. No moderating effects were found for widowhood. Additionally, health condition is more important than current marital status for elders’ well-being after divorce or widowhood. Heterogeneity in the context of the marriage before divorce should be considered when examining marital termination effects on elders’ depression.

Maternal depression and parenting in early childhood: Contextual influence of marital quality and social support in two samples.

Marital quality and social support satisfaction were tested as moderators of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and parenting during early childhood (18-36 months) among 2 large, divergent, longitudinal samples (n = 526; n = 570). Unexpectedly, in both samples the association between maternal depressive symptoms and reduced parenting quality was strongest in the context of high marital quality and high social support, and largely nonsignificant in the context of low marital quality and low social support. Possible explanations for these surprising findings are discussed. Results point to the importance of accounting for factors in the broader family context in predicting the association between depressive symptoms and maternal parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record