Marital Instability Research Articles

The Public and Private Dimensions of Chinese Women's Bodies—From Reproductive Policies to Bodily

This study examines the impact of China’s evolving reproductive policies and the recently implemented "cooling-off period" for divorce, underscoring how these shifts implicitly discipline women’s reproductive and marital autonomy. Despite the transition from the "One-Child Policy" to the "Three-Child Policy" appearing to offer increased reproductive choice, women’s decisions are still heavily influenced by family expectations, including pressure to bear male children, the demands of multiple births, and constraints on birthing choices. Such interventions not only intensify psychological pressures but also contribute to social issues like postpartum depression, suicide, and marital instability. By analyzing policies and relevant data, this paper reveals the combined influence of state and family on women’s reproductive behaviors and explores approaches to balance competing interests among the state, family, and individuals. Key recommendations include strengthening legal protections, expanding social support systems, and promoting cultural change to respect women’s autonomy over their reproductive choices. The broader implications of these policy adjustments emphasize the critical role of reproductive autonomy in achieving gender equality and sustaining social development. This issue transcends national borders, positioning it within the broader global movement for gender autonomy.

Does performance pay increase the risk of marital instability?

AbstractThis study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and marital instability. Using German survey data on married couples and including an extensive set of controls, we show that performance pay is associated with an increased probability of subsequent separation or divorce. Yet, the results are entirely gender specific. When husbands earn performance pay, no association with marital instability is found. When wives earn performance pay, the association is large and robust. This pattern persists across a variety of modeling choices and holds in instrumental variable estimations accounting for the endogeneity of performance pay. We argue that the pattern fits theoretical expectations and discuss the implications.

Modeling determinants of time-to-premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women using parametric shared frailty models.

Premarital cohabitation is rampant and currently practiced worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a known cause of marital instability and divorce. It is also associated with intimate partner violence and harms the psychology of children in later life. However, in Ethiopia, there has been limited attention given to premarital cohabitation. The main goal of this study was to identify the determinants of time-to-premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women. The 2016 EDHS data was used to achieve the study's goal. The survival information of 15683 women was analyzed based on their age at premarital cohabitation. The regional states of the women were used as a clustering effect in the models. Exponential, Weibull, and Log-logistic baseline models were used to identify factors associated with age at premarital cohabitation utilizing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The median age of premarital cohabitation was found to be 18 years. Surprisingly, 72.7% of participants were cohabitated in the study area. According to the Log-logistic-Gamma shared frailty model, place of residence, occupation, educational status, and being pregnant were found to be factors determining the time to premarital cohabitation. Premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women was higher compared to women in the sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa. Place of residence, occupation, educational status, and being pregnant were found to be factors determining the time for premarital cohabitation. Therefore, we recommend the concerned bodies set out strategies to educate women about the influencing factors and dangers of premarital cohabitation.

Violence against infertile women: comparative study in Upper verses Lower Egypt

Background: Infertility is a common gynecological problem that is associated with social stigma, social neglect, economic deprivation, emotional stress, unhappiness and marital instability. Violence against women is a global major health and human right concerns as this affects millions of women all over the world across ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic and educational classes. Infertile women have been deemed particularly vulnerable to domestic abuse in several studies. Aim: highlight and compare the prevalence and trends of domestic violence among infertile women receiving treatment for infertility in Upper verses Lower Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study on 200 infertile women. The study was carried out at Beni-Suef University's Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Delayed Reproduction and Gynecological Outpatient Clinic Beni-Suef University Hospital and gynecological outpatient clinic, Port Said University Hospital. Results: Women either upper Egyptian or lower Egyptian infertile women experienced and exposed all forms of domestic violence. The Upper & Lower studied Egyptian women experienced physical violence in about 70.0% & 68.0% and verbal violence in about 69.0% & 62.0% and financial violence in about 48.0% &46.0% and violence in about sexual violence in about 45.0% & 28.0%, since not been able to have a baby successfully and in the past years. Relationships between physical and verbal aggression that are statistically significant include age, different types of infertility, the gender of children (p<0.05). Conclusion: However, is no statistically significant deference between geographical area (upper or lower) and types of violence experienced by infertile women, all form of violence were more prevalent among upper Egyptian infertile women. Recommendations: (1) It is recommended that additional research be done with a larger sample from other provinces of Upper Egypt with regard to infertility and its psychological effects. (2) The relationship between violence and reproductive results requires more study, as do effective psychosocial interventions. Research on emotions and coping mechanisms within the context of treatment is particularly important.

Exploring The Psychological Experiences Of Women With Infertility In Urban Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Objective: To explore experiences of women seeking treatment in Ashanti region of Ghana regarding infertility and its effect on daily living. Methodology: A qualitative study utilizing content analysis approach. Purposive sampling of 18 women with infertility who sought infertility treatment as referral cases in Kumasi, Ashanti Region were selected for a semi-structured in-depth interview after giving informed consent. Results: Four main themes emerged as participants’ perception of infertility and its consequences on their daily lives. These include: “abuse”, “marital instability”, “social isolation”, and “loss of self-esteem.” The most predominant theme was “loss of self-esteem”. Infertility was found to influence both psychological and social well-being of affected women. Conclusion: Infertility imposes significant impairment on the emotional, psychological and social well-being of women in Ghana. These include isolation, abuse, loss of self-esteem, and marital instability. What is already known? Infertility may impose psychological distress on affected couples. What did study add? This study reveals the extent to which infertility-related distress affects the daily living experience of women in Ghana, including physical abuse. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy? The severity of the psychological burden of infertility is worse on women and this could be mitigated if the associated high costs of infertility treatment are subsidized.

Challenges Faced by Women Attending Continuing Education in North-West Nigeria

The paper discuss the meaning and origin of continuing Education and highlighting the challenges Faced by Women Attending Continuing Education in North-West Nigeria, Continuing education is meant for those who had left early the formal school system. It is aimed at helping these sets of people to continue their education in a less rigid formation than what formal school system provides, and probably help them to go further In Nigeria presently, the practice of continuing education has been broadened to include the provision of educational activities that will meet the needs of illiterates, the drop-out. The underprivileged. Educationally disadvantaged, oppressed, the unnerved different categories of professionals, the down-trodden and the backwards. Thus, continuing education offers a wide range of training or education meeting needs of all shades of people. It therefore serves as the best means or instrument of democratizing education or equalizing access to education irrespective of age sex or social affiliation. Women education faced the following challenges even as they continuing the Education: Cost of schooling Marital instability, Children/husband, Gender discrimination, Conflict and crisis, Class struggle, Cultural and religious Imitations, Povertty, Illiteracy. The paper suggested among other that other obstacles, like social cost to education, personal interest and commitment to education distance-related barriers to education, re-entry policies for young mothers, and hygiene management in schools.

An interactive bi-disruption model for marital instability with stability analysis

Marital instability has a devastating effect on our society. In general, marital disruption results in negative physical and psychological health outcomes, as well as adverse economic consequences for children, adolescents and adults. An all-interactive bi-disruption state model is proposed and the stability of the disruption-free equilibrium of the model is explored. The aim is to examine the effects of both homogenous and heterogenous interactions on the propagation potential (the basic reproductive number) of marital disruptions. The homogenous interaction epitomizes couples’ own interaction in the marriage, while heterogenous interactions represent couples’ interactions with individuals of other unstable states. Stability analysis of the marital disruption-free equilibrium was established using both the Routh Stability and Castilos-Chavez GAS criteria. It was revealed that the marital disruption-free is locally and globally asymptotically stable whenever the basic reproductive number is less than unity. The dynamics were further demonstrated through sensitivity analysis of the parameters using the RK4 simulation technique, achieved with codes implemented in R. As the simulation results evince, increases of 33% and 17% in the rates of homogenous resolution and remarriage, as well as 13% and 15% decreases in the rates of heterogenous contacts respectively between individuals of states M and P; and M and D are enough to ensure stability of marriages. The study therefore, has crucial guidelines to minimize marital instability.

Reciprocal associations between commitment, forgiveness, and different aspects of marital well-being among Chinese newlywed couples.

This study examined the reciprocal prospective associations between commitment, forgiveness, and different aspects of marital well-being (marital satisfaction and marital instability) among Chinese newlywed couples and the gender differences in these associations. The Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) model posits reciprocal associations between adaptive processes and relationship satisfaction. However, the directionality of the associations between adaptive processes and marital satisfaction may differ from the associations between adaptive processes and marital instability in Chinese societies due to the emphasis on relationship maintenance. Based on three annual waves of data from 268 Chinese newlywed couples (Mage = 29.59, SD = 3.25 for husbands; Mage = 28.08, SD = 2.51 for wives), a cross-lagged approach was used to examine the reciprocal associations between commitment, forgiveness, and marital satisfaction/instability. We found: (a) reciprocal associations between commitment/forgiveness and marital satisfaction (wives only); (b) reciprocal associations between forgiveness and marital instability (husbands only); and (c) wives' commitment at Wave 2 mediated the association between wives' commitment at Wave 1 and wives' marital satisfaction at Wave 3. Extending the VSA model, findings suggest different reciprocal associations between commitment, forgiveness, and different aspects of marital well-being among Chinese newlywed couples. Results highlight the important role of culture and gender in marital relationships and clinical practice.

The Impact of Marital Instability and Psychological Distress on Quality of Life among Married Women, Pakistan

The impact of marital instability and psychological distress on quality of life extends beyond the emotional realm. They can also affect other domains, such as physical health, social relationships, and overall life satisfaction. The motive of the study was to examine the effect of marital instability and psychological distress on quality of life among early and late married women in Pakistan. A cross-sectional research design was adopted. A purposive sampling design using a cross-sectional design was employed. A sample of 200 women, containing 100 early married women and 100 late married women, was taken from different divisions of Southern Punjab, Pakistan. A survey consisting of three key questionnaires, namely the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the WHO-Quality of Life Scale (BREF), and the Marital Instability Index (MII), was used for data collection. The findings evinced that marital instability has a positive and significant relationship with psychological distress among women with early and late marriages. Moreover, a higher level of marital instability and psychological distress with a low quality of life was found among early or late married women. Comparatively, women with early marriages have a higher level of marital instability and psychological distress and a lower level of quality of life as compared to women with late marriages. Overall, the study's findings recommended proactive interventions and policies aimed at improving the psychological well-being and quality of life of women in the region.

Determinants of Marital Instability in Ibadan, Nigeria

The economic and social desirability of marital stability is shown by its promotion of di-vision of labor, risk pooling, and encouragement of healthy behavior, while unstable mar-riages are linked to negative outcomes such as psychological and financial distress, im-paired child development, and long-term health challenges. It is worth noting that, while previously high divorce rates in developed countries appear to be slowing down, the op-posite might occur in developing countries. However, few studies have empirically ex-amined the causes of marital instability in developing countries. This study sought to em-pirically investigate marital instability in Nigeria by focusing on its key influencing fac-tors. The study collected data from 186 individuals in the urban and rural areas of Ibadan, the third most populous city in Nigeria, and used multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate three marital states: divorce, separation, and widowhood. The results show that marriage duration, number of children, and marriage entry age have a substantial in-fluence on marital instability. The risk of divorce follows a U-shaped pattern, with the risk falling from age 26 to 30 and rising again until age 46. Thus, addressing the causes of ear-ly and late marriage entry could improve marital stability in Nigeria. Keywords: Household economics; Marital instability; Marriage market

Bidirectional or unidirectional? Longitudinal associations between external stressors, perceived spousal support, and marital instability.

Based on three annual waves of data from 268 Chinese newlyweds (Mage = 29.59, SD = 3.25 for husbands; Mage = 28.08, SD = 2.51 for wives), the present study examined the bidirectional associations between external stressors, perceived spousal support, and marital instability by using a three-wave, cross-lagged approach. Results indicated bidirectional associations between external stressors and marital instability, and a unidirectional association linking marital instability to perceived spousal support. Additionally, external stressors at Wave 2 mediated the association between external stressors at Wave 1 and marital instability at Wave 3. Taken together, the present study contributes to an emerging body of research aimed at clarifying: (a) the directionality of the associations between external stressors, perceived spousal support, and marital instability; (b) how external stressors cumulatively affect the development of marital instability. Our study extends the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) model and has developmental implications for promoting marital relationships in non-Western couples.

Бесплодие, ассоциированное с аденомиозом. Обзор литературы

Background. Infertility tends to become one more modern pandemic. According to some estimates, the percentage of infertile couples varies between 10–25% (48–180 million). Such couples face adverse effects on their physical and mental health, financial hardship, serious social stigma, increased risk of domestic violence, and marital instability. Adenomyosis is a common gynecological disorder of unclear etiology that affects female reproductive health. Alterations in endometrial function and susceptibility that are associated with adenomyosis negatively affect the reproductive potential. Current treatments have not achieved good results in combating infertility, that is why it is extremely important to study the causes of infertility, and the review of current research in this area seems relevant. Aim. To explore etiology and pathogenesis of infertility associated with adenomyosis by reviewing scientific papers. Results. The review addresses mechanisms underlying the development of infertility associated with adenomyosis and treatment options.

Incidence of Marital Instability among Couples in Ado Local Government Area, Ekiti State

This study was designed to examine the incidence of marital instability among the couples in Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The study aimed at finding out the factors that are responsible for marital instability among couples. The population of the study consisted of all married civil servant workers and artisans in Ado Ekiti. Simple random sampling technique were use to select 100 sample for the study, the instrument use to collect data was a questionnaire. The statistical techniques used in analysis of data include frequency counts to analyse the research question and correlation method to analyse the research hypothesis. The study found out that instability in marriage is caused when couples are faced with lack of communication, sexual problem, women earning more than their husband. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made. The government of all levels should assist marriage counsellors to organised regular seminars, symposia on sex education and other issue surrounding co-existence of couples in marriage. Also, Married people should attend counselling to learn skills of self-awareness and interactive skills that can keep their marital relationship healthy and crisis free. Keywords: marital instability, Ekiti State DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-8-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

The association between child abuse and poor academic performance in public primary schools in urban Sudan

IntroductionChild abuse, sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect, includes all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity. Child abuse with all its forms is under reported globally in developed and developing countries. The extent of the problem is difficult to ascertain since most of the victims remain silent thus, assessing its prevalence and effects on children is crucial.ObjectivesTo assess the association between child abuse with poor school performance considering related variables including family instability, home environment, and school environment.MethodsThis study included 504 participants: 168 cases and 336 controls. Controls were matched for age and gender. Both groups were tested for marital or family instability, home environment, school environment, peer and teacher maltreatment using bi-variate analysis. Test of significance of the result was estimated by confidence interval. Quantification of each factor effect and the interrelationships between all factors that affect academic performance was calculated using multivariate analysis by multiple logistic regressions.ResultsAfter controlling for confounding factors using a multivariate analysis model, the following was found: a significant increase in the risk of poor academic performance in children who were subjected to maternal physical neglect compared with children who were not (OR= 3.106: CI 95%=1.875-5.147), and in children subjected to maternal emotional neglect compared with children who were not (OR= 1.968: CI 95% = 1.200- 3.226). No association was found between maternal emotional/verbal or physical abuse and poor academic performance.There is a significant increase in the risk of poor academic performance in children subjected to paternal emotional verbal abuse compared with children who were not (OR= 4.534: CI 95% = 1.833 - 11.214), but the result illustrated no association between paternal physical abuse and poor academic performance.ConclusionsThe risk of poor academic performance is significantly higher in children exposed to frequent parental conflicts or physical abuse from teachers compared with children who were not. There is a significant increase in the risk of poor academic performance in children who experienced maternal physical and emotional neglect and paternal emotional/ verbal abuse. Higher levels of parental education, feeling safe at home, and feeling happy may be protective factors.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Pedagogy for Overcoming the Challenges of Marital Instability in Nigeria

Marriage is a universal practice but what obtains in one culture and state maybe different from what obtains in another. However, one common denominator that is present in the marriage institution irrespective of culture and state of origin is change. Change in marriage has tremendously altered basic and fundamental values and objectives of marriage so much that love, happiness, fulfilments and accomplishments that are inherent in marriage have become hypothetical assumptions following the fact that married couples presently live as intimate enemies (Dildar, Sitwat and Yasin, 2013) – a development where marital instability is fast becoming a norm. Using the philosophical methodology, this paper takes a position that the marriage institution needs to be protected and upon this the paper makes a case by proffering pedagogical strategies for overcoming the challenges of marital instability in Nigeria. Among other things, the paper suggests and recommends that marriage and its survival should take centre stage in educational provisions in Nigeria, that measures should be put in place for the promotion of marriage so much that evidence of marriage should be the basic entry point for access to social goods provided by the state, including the state adopting marriage as a social justice mechanism and supporting those who identify with it. The paper also suggests that decline in marriage and marital instability should be a cause for concern to any state that is desirous of development.

Marital dissolution and associated factors in Hosanna, Southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundMarriage dissolution, divorce, or separation from a spouse or common-law partner is a serious public health concern due to its increasing prevalence and devastating health and socio-economic consequences. Evidence suggests an increased risk of marital instability in Ethiopia. In addition, the extent of marital dissolution and other related factors have increased in the study area. Despite these, the prevalence of marital dissolution and the influence of associated factors (main reason for marriage, and parental history of marital dissolution) on marital dissolution has not been assessed in the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of marital dissolution and its associated factors among residents of Hosanna town in southwestern Ethiopia in 2022.MethodsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among 459 randomly selected Hosanna Township residents. We used structured questionnaires to collect data. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were performed to describe the data and test-associated factors, respectively. A p-value less than 0.05 was used to define statistical significance. We used STATA 14 and IBM SPSS 25.0 computer packages to process data.ResultsOut of the 459 potentially eligible individuals, 450 participants properly responded to the questionnaires yielding a response rate of 98.04%. Of these, 218 (52.9%) were female. The commonly reported reason for marriage was to have children 150 (36.9%). The prevalence rate of marital dissolution was 26.0% (95% CI: (21.7%, 30.3%)). The participant's level of education and the primary reasons (motives) why they get married were statistically significantly associated with marital dissolution. The odds of marital dissolution was higher among participants who completed secondary education (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.26–8.17) compared to those having no formal education. The participants who married for companionship reasons (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11–0.83) had significantly lower odds of marriage dissolution compared with those who married for financial security.ConclusionsIn this study, the prevalence of marital dissolution was high. The participant’s level of education and the primary reasons (motives) why they getting married were significantly associated with marital dissolution. Therefore, an integrated, community-based approach should be developed to prevent marital dissolution.

Determining the contribution of attachment styles and coping styles in predicting the instability of married life with the mediating role of resilience in conflicted couples

Background and Aim: Marital stability is considered a core index of continuity and durability of mutual independence, trust and friendship, and it is considered a predictor of marital happiness, and is influenced by many individual and interpersonal factors. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a structural model for predicting the instability of married life based on attachment styles and coping styles: the mediating role of resilience in conflicted couples. Methods: The descriptive research method was correlation type. The statistical population included couples who were referred to police counselling centres in Tehran in 2019, and 300 people were selected as a statistical sample using the available (voluntary) sampling method. The members of the statistical sample responded to Edwards et al.'s marital stability instability scale (1987), coping styles questionnaire by Lazarus and Folkman (1985) and Connor and Davidson resilience questionnaire (2003). Results: The findings showed that coping styles directly predict the instability of marital life in conflicted couples, and resilience had a significant mediating role in the relationship between emotion-oriented and problem-oriented coping styles and marital instability. In addition, the results showed resilience had a significant mediating role in the relationship between secure attachment style, insecure-avoidant attachment style and marital instability (P < 0.01). However, resilience did not have a significant mediating role in the relationship between bisexual attachment style and marital instability (P > 0.01). Conclusion: It can be concluded that teaching effective coping styles, paying attention to resilience and identifying attachment styles of couples can prevent injuries that threaten the stability of married life.

A Comparative Study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Aripiprazole on Marital Instability of in Patients with Hypersexual.

Sexual desire and sexual activity are natural needs of human beings, which can be problematic and lead to various sexual disorders, if not used in the right way, including hypersexuality. The present study aimed to compare the effect of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and aripiprazole drug on marital instability in patients with hypersexuality. This experimental case--control Pretest--Posttest Control Group Design with follow up was done on 27 male and female patients with hypersexuality having at least a higher education degree selected from four hospitals and psychiatric centers including Khorshid Hospital, Asgariyeh Specialized Hospital, Farhangian Clinic and Imam Reza Medical Center in Isfahan and were randomly assigned to two groups of treatment (nine patients in every group) and one group of control (nine patients) after adjusting the age and gender. Pretest phase was done for both three groups using Marital Instability Index (MII). The first treatment group underwent DBT intervention for eight sessions of 2 hours (once a week), and the second experimental group was prescribed aripiprazole for 2 months. Afterwards, the posttest and follow-up were performed for all the three groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24 and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The findings showed that DBT and aripiprazole had little effect on the problem of marital instability in patients with hypersexuality (p > 0.05); also, there was no significant difference between the effect of DBT and aripiprazole (p > 0.05). DBT and the drug aripiprazole cannot have a significant effect on the marital instability in patients.

Effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on Reducing Marital Instability among Secondary School Teachers in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria

Effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on Reducing Marital Instability among Secondary School Teachers in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria

Women’s experiences of living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda: a qualitative phenomenological study

BackgroundInvoluntary childlessness is a global phenomenon that negatively impacts the couple, or the family involved. The experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness have not been well documented in the literature, specifically in the Ugandan context. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted among women experiencing involuntary childlessness attending a National Referral Hospital. Purposive sampling was, and data saturation determined the actual sample size. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The results are presented in the form of text and narrative quotes from participants.ResultsSix themes emerged (i) Inadequate social support (ii) psychological torture (iii) continued grief (iv) marital instability (v) failure attributed to childlessness and (vi) financial constraints. Inadequate social support was in the form of having an unsupportive partner, altered social relation, and altered social status, while women experienced name-calling, emotional abuse, stigma, and blame under the psychological torture theme. Women experienced feelings of distress and grief, including anger, irritability, sadness, stress, and feelings of despair. Women with involuntary childlessness recounted experiencing unstable marriages characterized by infidelity, divorce, abandonment, and polygamous marriages. Some women coped positively, while others employed negative coping strategies such as social withdrawal and isolation. Women who their partners and families well supported coped positively. In contrast, those who did not receive as much support were stressed, sad, angry, and had lost hope of pregnancy.ConclusionsIn this study, women with involuntary childlessness lacked social support amidst experiences of marital turmoil, psychological torture, feelings of distress and grief, unfulfilled motherhood expectations, and financial constraints while seeking treatment, therefore, there is a need to screen the women for psychological / mental illness symptoms and provide empathetic care and counseling. The prevalence of involuntary childlessness is not well documented in Uganda and a study can be done to determine its extent.