Marital Discord Research Articles

Biopsychosocial Distress among Offspring of Mentally Ill Clients

Mental illness causes social isolation of mentally ill clients and their children. The offspring of mentally ill clients experience psychosocial distress due to rejection and discrimination from the public, they experience low self-esteem due to inadequate meeting of their needs by their parental figures when comparing with their contemporary children. Offspring of mentally ill clients experience stress and inadequate coping with their parental mental illness. Families experience social isolation, financial hardship and marital discord. The children in the family were genetically, psychologically and environmentally distressed (Reupert A, Mayberry D, 2010). Children of mentally ill parents face many problems like neglect, exposure to violence and trauma, housing and custodial instability, developmental delays, stigma and isolation (Hoppingwinn A,2012).Ineffective coping of children leads to poor psychosocial development, compromised emotional and mental wellbeing (Aldridge J,2012). It is important to identify the Bio psychosocial distress among offspring of mentally ill clients. The main objectives of the study were to assess the Bio psychosocial distress among offspring of mentally ill clients, find the relationship among Biological, Psychological and Social distress in offspring of mentally ill clients and determine the association between bio psychosocial distress and selected demographic variables of offspring of mentally ill clients.

Influence of marital discord on compliance to physiotherapy appointment for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Kano metropolis(Nigeria).

Influence of marital discord on compliance to physiotherapy appointment for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Kano metropolis(Nigeria).

The role of parental marital discord in the etiology of externalizing problems during childhood and adolescence.

Previous research has established that parental marital discord is associated with higher levels of offspring externalizing behaviors, but it is unclear how parental relationship functioning is associated with the genetic and environmental variance on a factor of externalizing problems. Thus, the current study assessed how parental marital discord moderates genetic and environmental variance on offspring externalizing problems at two different ages: childhood and late adolescence. That is, the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on offspring externalizing at ages 11 and 17 was examined as a function of parental marital discord. Consistent with a diathesis-stress model of psychopathology, it was hypothesized that with increasing marital discord, genetic influences on externalizing would be more pronounced. Rather, results indicated that for the 11-year-old sample, nonshared environmental influences were greater when parental marital discord was low, and comparatively, shared environmental influences contributed more to the variance in externalizing problems when parental marital discord was high. No moderation was found for the 17-year-old cohort. In contrast to studies that do not find an effect of the shared environment, these results provide evidence that the common rearing environment has an impact on externalizing problems in preadolescent children.

Cost-Effectiveness and the Role of Psychodynamic Psychotherapies

Cost-Effectiveness and the Role of Psychodynamic Psychotherapies

Maternal marital satisfaction during the first six months following international adoption

International adoption can be a rewarding way for parents to build a family and many varied factors contribute to a positive adoption outcome. In particular, the period of adjustment just prior to and following an international adoption is a major transition for the adoptive family. Positive outcomes are related to both lower parental stress and higher marital satisfaction of the adoptive parents, and strong marital support is a protective factor ( Mainemer, Gilman and Ames, 1998 ). Examining the marital relationship during this time of transition may bring understanding of the effects of the adoption process on the parents’ marital relationship; identifying characteristics that indicate susceptibility to marital discord and possible areas for intervention increases the chances of a positive adoption outcome. This study examined 49 mothers’ perceptions of marital satisfaction, marital happiness and personal stress in the weeks preceding and the months following an international adoption. Women are often the primary caregivers of the newly adopted child and mothers tend to indicate distress during this period, therefore this investigation focused on the maternal viewpoint. The sample included children who had been designated as special needs in the country of origin as well as others who had not. The findings suggest that marriages with positive perceptions and satisfaction prior to adoption fare best during the early months post-adoption. Older women reported less positive perceptions of their marriages and spouses; therefore, mothers beyond childbearing age may benefit from further support.

Gender differences in perception of psychosocial distress and coping mechanisms among infertile men and women in Saudi Arabia

The objective of the study was to evaluate the differences in psychosocial distress and coping mechanisms among infertile men and women in Saudi Arabia (SA). We performed a cross-sectional study of infertile patients (206 women and 200 men) attending infertility clinics in three referral hospitals in Riyadh, SA. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to assess socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables. Infertility-related psychosocial pressures were reported in 79 (39.7%) male and 97 (47.3%) female participants (p = 0.123). Males suffered more from intrusive questions and pressure to conceive, remarry or get divorced, while females were stressed more from psychological and emotional exhaustion, marital discord, attitudes of mothers-in-law or society, and persistent desire by the husband to have children. To cope with infertility, females engaged more in religious activities (p < 0.001) and spoke more to someone regarding their problems (p < 0.001). To solve their infertility problems, 50% tried to find solutions via the internet, and 38.5% of males and 51% of females reported using alternative medicines (p = 0.012). The patients with infertility in SA face multiple psychosocial stressors related to their infertility, and cope differently based on the gender and culture-specific knowledge of infertility. The female participants were significantly more affected from psychosocial stressors and the persistent desire by their spouse to have children.

Behavior and emotional problems in children with mental retardation

Background Behavior and emotional problems in a mentally re-tarded child can inhibit the educational process of the child.Objectives The aims of this study were to find out the prevalenceof behavior and emotional problems in children with mental retar-dation as reported by parents and to assess associated risk fac-tors consisting of mother’s psychopathology, marital discord, malesex, child’s age, socioeconomic status, and family size.Methods This cross sectional study was carried out on 63 chil-dren with mental retardation in a school for retarded children, SLBC Asih Budi I, from January until March 2003. Parents were inter-viewed at school and home using special questionnaires, the ChildBehavior Checklist (CBCL) and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90).Results The prevalence of behavior and emotional problems inthis study was 52%. The majority of behavior and emotional prob-lems were anxious/depressed (18%) and withdrawn (16%). Malesex and age group of 12-18 year-old were not risk factors of be-havior and emotional problems (OR=0.49, p=0.190 and OR=1.14,p=0.94, respectively) while socioeconomic status, family size, andmother’s psychopathology were risk factors (OR= 4.08, p=0.008;OR=4.17, p=0.014; OR=9.28, p=0.018; respectively). There wasa correlation between behavior and emotional problems of chil-dren and marital discord.Conclusion The prevalence of behavior and emotional problemswas 52% in which the majority was internalizing disorder. Risk fac-tors for behavior and emotional problems were mother’s psycho-pathology, four or more children in the family, low socioeconomicstatus, and marital discord

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) in Gambling Disorder and Its Treatment

Recently, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimated the prevalence rate of gambling disorder to be 4.8 percent of the population. This rate is outstandingly higher than other countries with prevalence rates between 0.25 and 2.0 percent. It is also estimated that no fewer than 5 million Japanese suffer from the disease. In the last two years, 100 new patients visited the author's clinic. On an average, they started gambling at the age of 19.7 years, and incurring debt at the age of 25.8 years. They first visited the clinic at an average age of 38.2 years, and the average amount they had spent on gambling up to that point was 13 million yen. Twenty percent of them had taken some legal measures to reduce their burden from debts before seeking treatment. Sixty percent of pathological gamblers exclusively played pachinko and slot machine games. Patients who did not play on such machines accounted for no less than 2 percent of cases. This is not surprising, considering the fact that Japan has nearly 4.6 million pachinko and slot machines, which account for two thirds of the total electric gaming machines in the world. Japanese legislation does not regard pachinko and slot machines as gambling, but merely as gaming. Therefore, pachinko companies have no restrictions as such to promote their market. They can advertise freely in newspapers and TV commercials. Pachinko halls are filled with lighting, sounds, and visual effects to stimulate and excite gamblers. The harmful effects of gambling disorder include depression, loss of employment and friends, marital discord, fraud, embezzlement, theft in the family, and theft from non-family members. The most helpful therapy involves attending self-help group sessions at least once a week. One of the best-known self-help groups is Gamblers Anonymous (GA); there are 162 GA groups in Japan. The author believes there should be one GA group for every city across the nation. Unfortunately, psychiatrists, who should be taking the lead in providing diagnosis and treatment, are showing little interest in gambling problems. Unless all psychiatrists develop the ability to deal with the disease effectively, there is little hope for patients and families to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It is also time for the administration to implement necessary measures instead of averting its eyes from the harsh reality and promoting publicly managed gambling. Considering the miserable situation, the administration should not lift its ban on the casino industry.

Marriage and other psychological stressors in the causation of psychiatric disorder

The aim of this study was to compare the specific psychiatric diagnosis, frequency, and types of stressors, and the level of awareness about marriage law between married (cases; n=80) and unmarried girls (control; n=80) with one or more psychiatric disorders below the age of 18 years. The psychiatric diseases were diagnosed according to Axis One of ICD-10 clinical diagnoses of multi-axial classification of childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorder. Psychosocial stressors were considered on the basis of Axis Five of this classification. Of the cases, major depressive disorder was the highest (n=47) and next was a dissociative (conversion) disorder (n=24). Among the controls, generalized anxiety disorder (n=31) was the most prevalent followed by obsessive-compulsive disorder (n=17). The difference was highly significant (p&gt;0.001). The cases reported a significant excess of psychosocial stressors than that of the controls to the onset of the psychiatric disorder. All the cases had associated stressors. In contrast, 77 out of 80 control patients had stressors. Marriage itself played as a stressor in the 78 cases. Beside this, other highly frequent stressors were marital discord followed by drop out from study and trouble with in-laws. Among the controls, the highest reported stressor was increased academic workload and next two commonest stressors were poor academic performance and discord with peers. Interestingly, 52.5% of the cases were having knowledge about the law on the age of marriage and that was 32.5% among the controls. It was significant that most of the girls breached their continuity of education after marriage (p&gt;0.001). In conclusion, psychosocial stressors including marriage have a causal relationship with depressive and conversion disorder.

Predicting ADHD by Assessment of Rutter's Indicators of Adversity in Infancy.

BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with early onset. ADHD is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, partly due to delayed diagnosis. Identification of children at high risk for developing ADHD could lead to earlier diagnosis and potentially change the negative trajectory of the illness for the better. Since early psychosocial adversity is considered to be a likely etiological risk factor for ADHD, markers of this construct may be useful for early identification of children at high risk. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether Rutter’s indicators of adversity (low social class, severe marital discord, large family size, paternal criminality, maternal mental disorder, and placement in out-of-home care) assessed in infancy could serve as early predictors for the development of ADHD.Methods and FindingsUsing data from the Danish nationwide population-based registers, we established a cohort consisting of all 994,407 children born in Denmark between January 1st 1993 and December 31st 2011 and extracted dichotomous values for the six Rutter’s indicators of adversity at age 0–12 months (infancy) for each cohort member. The cohort members were followed from their second birthday and the association between the sum of Rutter’s indicators of adversity (RIA-score) in infancy and subsequent development of ADHD was estimated by means of Cox regression. Also, the number needed to screen (NNS) to detect one case of ADHD based on the RIA-scores in infancy was calculated. During follow-up (9.6 million person-years), 15,857 males and 5,663 females from the cohort developed ADHD. For both males and females, there was a marked dose-response relationship between RIA-scores assessed in infancy and the risk for developing ADHD. The hazard ratios for ADHD were 11.0 (95%CI: 8.2–14.7) and 11.4 (95%CI: 7.1–18.3) respectively, for males and females with RIA-scores of 5–6, compared to males and females with RIA-scores of 0. Among males with RIA-scores of 5–6, 37.6% (95%CI: 27.0–50.7) had been diagnosed with ADHD prior to the age of 20, corresponding to a NNS of 3.0 (95%CI: 2.2–4.0).ConclusionsRutter’s indicators of adversity assessed in infancy strongly predicted ADHD. This knowledge may be important for early identification of ADHD.

Neighborhood Collective Efficacy Moderates the Association between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Marital Conflict.

In a socio-demographically diverse sample of 501 caregivers participating in a longitudinal birth cohort study during the childbearing years, we examined whether neighborhood collective efficacy moderated the association between maternal adverse childhood experience (ACEs) and marital conflict. Maternal ACEs were assessed via retrospective reports. Neighborhood collective efficacy was measured via maternal and paternal reports at 2months, and maternal reports of marital conflict were collected at infant age 2 and 18months. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that maternal ACEs were associated with increased marital conflict. Neighborhood collective efficacy moderated the association between early maternal ACEs and marital conflict, such that mothers experiencing ACEs had lower levels of marital conflict when exposed to high levels of neighborhood collective efficacy. Results suggest that extra-familial sources of social support and control, such as feelings of security, trust, order, and connectedness with others, may buffer the effects of early adversity on marital discord.

Infertility and Perinatal Loss: When the Bough Breaks.

Infertility and perinatal loss are common, and associated with lower quality of life, marital discord, complicated grief, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Young women, who lack social supports, have experienced recurrent pregnancy loss or a history of trauma and / or preexisting psychiatric illness are at a higher risk of experiencing psychiatric illnesses or symptoms after a perinatal loss or during infertility. It is especially important to detect, assess, and treat depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric symptoms because infertility or perinatal loss may be caused or perpetuated by such symptoms. Screening, psychoeducation, provision of resources and referrals, and an opportunity to discuss their loss and plan for future pregnancies can facilitate addressing mental health concerns that arise. Women at risk of or who are currently experiencing psychiatric symptoms should receive a comprehensive treatment plan that includes the following: (1) proactive clinical monitoring, (2) evidence-based approaches to psychotherapy, and (3) discussion of risks, benefits, and alternatives of medication treatment during preconception and pregnancy.

Are SSRIs during pregnancy safe? More studies seek answers

Are SSRIs during pregnancy safe? More studies seek answers

Troubles factices en dermatologie : intérêt du concept d’état dissociatif

Factitious disorders in dermatology consist of intentionally self-inflicted skin lesions that vary in morphology and distribution and occur on surfaces readily accessible to the patient's hands. They tend to be a chronic condition that waxes and wanes according to the circumstances of the patient's life. Patient management poses a particular challenge to the clinician and the prognosis is considered poor. The aetiopathogenesis of factitious disorders in dermatology is not completely understood. We present a case in which we suggested the occurrence of factitious behaviour during a dissociative state, and we briefly describe our diagnostic and therapeutic approach. A 48-year-old unemployed woman was referred to our department of psychiatry by her dermatologist for suspected factitious disorder. The patient was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1 and had been hospitalized repeatedly for confirmed diabetic ketoacidosis. The onset of the disease was related to marital discord with her spouse. Numerous skin lesions had appeared on her face, arms, legs, neck and back. These lesions resulted in multiple hospital admissions and in amputation of her left leg. The condition had worsened considerably after her separation from her husband. During the initial conversation, the patient was unable to provide a clear history of the disease. She denied any knowledge of the circumstances in which these skin lesions appeared, and she did not admit self-infliction. Her mood was depressed and her speech was slow. We suspected that our patient was herself causing her skin lesions while in a dissociative state. Several arguments militate in favour of our hypothesis, particularly her history of childhood maltreatment and the association of traumatic life events with simultaneous deterioration of the skin. The explanation of the dissociative mechanism helped us to strengthen the therapeutic relationship. Within a few days, we noted a slow regression of the lesions, but the patient was still unable to explain how the lesions had occurred. The pathophysiology of factitious disorders in dermatology is poorly understood. It has strong ties with other psychiatric disorders, and according to several authors, skin lesions occur in dissociative states, after which patients do not remember how the skin change started. Management of this disease is challenging. An improved understanding of its mechanisms may enhance the prognosis for this particular group of patients.

A study on social factors and magnitude of mental health problem among women with marital disharmony

Background: Marital disharmony is a widespread phenomenon that is largely hidden. The single most important factor that determines the quality of the family is the quality of marriage that supports it. Rapid socio-economic transitions in our society have led to increasing trends in marital disharmony thus emerging as an important social problem with grave consequences. This study was undertaken to identify the key social factors which contributed towards development of mental health problems among the affected women . Methods: The present cross sectional study was conducted at a family counselling centre located in Davangere city where a total of 53 participants, who registered and availed the short term stay facility in the centre and who consented to participate in the study were administered a questionnaire to assess socio-demographic factors and were interviewed using Goldberg’s 12 item general health questionnaire (GHQ) as a screening tool for the presence of psychiatric morbidity. Hamilton’s rating scales for anxiety and depression were then used for confirmation. Results: Each of the female subjects mostly in the age group 22-26 years (35.8%) were facing some degree of marital discord; the largest proportion (47.2%) facing problems for periods greater than a year. The commonest reasons for discord were found to be physical harassment (32.1%) and dowry-seeking (20.8%).56.6% of the women suffered from mild to moderate degree of depression. Among the spouses, addictions were seen in 60.4 %. After counseling, 81% were willing for a compromise, with the remaining 19% strongly rooting for separation from their spouses. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, it was seen that there was a strong correlation between social and familial factors and psychiatric morbidity. Conclusions: In our study we found that the overall psychiatric morbidity rates were very high; depression being the commonest. Dowry and physical harassment from the husband were the most common reasons leading to disharmony. We found that counselling works as an effective measure to sort out the issues affecting the marriage. Post personality assessment of the spouse, which could be beneficial in solving such matters should be implemented. Also, establishment of social support centers for socially dependent women could be a useful approach in managing cases of marital disharmony.

Ethics and Medical Practice: Why Psychiatry is Unique.

Byline: Navneet. Sidhu, Jagannathan. Srinivasraghavan Since ancient times, societies have held physicians to high standards of ethics owing to the caring nature of the medical profession as well as the vulnerability of people in their care. While we are all familiar with the Hippocratic oath, the Formula Comitis Archiatrorum [sup][1] , written in the 5 [sup]th century, is considered by some to be the earliest known code of medical ethics. Modern day medical ethics can be traced to Thomas Percival, an English physician and philosopher who wrote Medical Ethics, or a Code of Institutes and Precepts, Adapted to the Professional Conduct of Physicians and Surgeons in 1803 [sup][2] . His ideas such as conduct of physicians towards patients and inter-professional relationships have been a dominant influence in development of the field. Medical Ethics served as a key source for the American Medical Association (AMA) code, which the association adopted in 1847 [sup][3] . In it's current form, the AMA code of Medical Ethics stresses principles such as professionalism, respect for human dignity and rights, medical knowledge, privacy and access to medical care for all people, and the importance of focusing on patients' best interests [sup][4] . In the United States, organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and American Psychological Association have also laid out guidelines that inform psychiatric and psychological practice [sup][5],[6] . Srinivasaraghavan et al . [sup][7] have discussed the unique nature of psychiatry, the presence of stigma in mental illness, the socio-economic disadvantages often present in the mentally ill population and the need for psychiatric ethics to go beyond the ethical standards of General medicine. In this paper, we want to highlight how the everyday practice of psychiatry demands high moral and ethical standards of its' practitioners and is unique in its challenges and ethical dilemmas. I. Privacy and Confidentiality Physicians of all specialties owe complete confidentiality to their patients in most circumstances. The effectiveness of the patient- physician relationship and therapeutic alliance relies heavily on this obligation. It is unethical and illegal to share information discussed within the confines of the medical office, without the explicit and informed permission of the patient. In psychiatry, we often hear our patients' innermost fears, worries, fantasies and desires. To a psychiatrist, patients' often expose their vulnerabilities and discuss concerns that could expose them to the prevalent stigma in society. Were a physician not bound by the promise of confidentiality, the therapeutic relationship would be hindered, and treatment would be impeded. Consider the example of a woman telling her psychiatrist of marital discord in her relationship, or a man talking about sexual dysfunction in treatment. Or the case of an employer calling the psychiatrist about the mental health of employee. It is obvious that if such information were to become known outside the confines of therapy, the consequences could be potentially disastrous. In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) [sup][8] of 1996 places civil and criminal penalties on health care providers and entities that disclose protected information to unauthorized individuals or sources. So when can a psychiatrist share information? Organizations like APA have recognized the limits of this confidentiality in the legal setting. For example, if a physician is required by the law to produce medical records, confidentiality is waived. In such situations, the limits of confidentiality should be explained to the patient. Following the landmark United States case [sup][9] involving the killing of a university student, Tatiana Tarasoff by another student in 1969, many U.S states [sup][10] have enacted duty to warn and duty to protect mandates which require a psychiatrist or therapist to reveal information to police or potential victims about dangerous patients in the interest of public safety. …

Psychosocial characteristics and predictors of health-care use in families of young children with cystic fibrosis in Western Australia.

Early childhood psychosocial experiences determine future health and health-care use. Identifying psychosocial predictors in cystic fibrosis may inform intervention strategies that can reduce health-care utilization. The study was designed as a prospective cohort study. The study was set in the only cystic fibrosis clinic in Western Australia. The patients were children up to 6 years diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in Western Australia between 2005 and 2011. Psychosocial data collected for each year of life were compared with Australian population data and analysed as predictors of annual hospital, emergency and outpatient visits. Compared with the Australian population, cystic fibrosis families demonstrated lower socio-economic status and labour supply (P < 0.001), increased residential mobility (P < 0.001) and trends towards increased rates of parental separation (P = 0.066). Marital discord and maternal and child psychological stress significantly predicted increased hospital admissions, emergency and outpatient visits. Social gradients may exist for families of young children with cystic fibrosis in Western Australia with potential implications for child health. Family psychological and relationship stress predicted increased child cystic fibrosis-related health-care use.

Integrating mental health services in primary health care system in Sikkim

Suicide rate in Sikkim has increased exponentially in the last 10 years ranging 29 to 45 per 1 lakh population, much higher than the national average of 11 per 1 lakh population [1, 2]. The WHO report revealed nearly 800000 people die from suicide every year [3]. In India, 135445 people committed suicide in 2012. Further, suicide is the commonest cause of death among 15-30 years age group [2]. Suicide per se is not a disease in itself but considered symptoms of other diseases. Mental illness, depression, alcoholism, substance dependence and personality traits/disorders are commonest causes of suicide in the World. The prevalent viewpoints with regard to causes of suicide are very different. People perceived minor failures in examination &amp; relationship, marital discord, poverty, unemployment, job loss, and other problems pushes someone to take their own life. But if we reflect on our own lives, have we had not undergone through similar failures, pain and suffering ever. Therefore, the big question remains: why some people take their own life in the face of challenges/ problems while majority of us were able to cope with those problems/ stress effectively and move ahead in life.

Till the Judge Do Them Part: The Prospect of Absolute Divorce in the Philippines

The Philippines is the only member State of the United Nations without a general divorce law which is attributed to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church for more than 300 years of Spanish colonization. Currently, the Philippine legal regime permits legal separation, annulment, and declaration of nullity of marriage, although divorce by Muslims and indigenous people as well as one validly obtained abroad by a foreigner against a Filipino spouse, is recognized. Legal separation authorizes the couple’s separation from bed and board but leaves the marital cord unsevered. Any new relationship for either party may result in criminal prosecution in a country where marital infidelity is a crime. Annulment and declaration of nullity are concerned with validity and nullity issues. Causes of marital discord that develop after the couple take each other as husband and wife are beyond the province of the latter two remedies. The Constitution protects marriage as an inviolable social institution. It is argued that this is not an express or implied prohibition of divorce as the dissolution of marital unions where vows of love and fidelity are routinely breached and debased is also necessary to preserve the sanctity of marriage. Divorce is now customary international law which the Philippines must honor, judging from the fact all other UN member States permit it. Divorce is also an aspect of the human rights to marry and to life which the Philippines committed to respect, protect, and fulfill under its treaty obligations. Moreover, despite its strong Roman Catholic background, Philippine culture is receptive to divorce and in fact had a general divorce law for 33 years mostly as a colony of the United States. Religious dogma as basis for Congress’ phlegmatic attitude to divorce is misplaced in view of the separation of religion and State and the fact that even Canon Law authorizes annulment of marriage.

Dimensional Latent Structure of Relationship Quality: Results of Three Representative Population Samples

A fundamental question facing every latent construct (e.g., relationship quality) is whether the construct is categorical or dimensional in nature. The authors analyzed the latent status of relationship quality in 3 large general German population samples using the Partnership Questionnaire (PFB), the Quality of Relationship Inventory, and the short form of the PFB (PFB‐K; N1 = 1,330, N2 = 1,494, N3 = 1,390). They applied 3 widely used taxometric methods: (a) MAXEIG, (b) MAMBAC, and (c) L‐Mode. Simulation data were created to evaluate the comparison curve fit index values, which were below 0.5 across the 3 German population samples, supporting a dimensional solution. Hence, in the current study the latent structure of relationship quality encompassed differences in degree rather than kind. Implications of the dimensional latent status of relationship quality, as well as causes of the discrepant findings with previous taxometric studies, are discussed.