Marital Quality Of Life Research Articles

Marital quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being among married couples: A community-based comparative study between the rural and urban populations in India

ABSTRACT Family is a social institution and the most important primary group. It is undergoing significant changes in the twenty-first century. The current study attempts to assess the marital quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being among married couples in rural and urban populations. The study used descriptive design and multistage sampling technique in which 200 respondents were interviewed from the study population. The socio-demographic schedule, marital quality of life, life satisfaction, and general well-being scales were used to collect the data. The results show that one-third (34%) had an overall excellent marital quality life; about half of them either extremely satisfied or satisfied in life satisfaction, and two-third had good well-being. There was a positive correlation between the marital quality of life and well-being, well-being and life satisfaction, and well-being and education. In a changing society, marital quality of life determines life satisfaction and well-being of the married couple. Hence, there is a need to address the marital quality of life to keep the families intact.

Context and Underlying Factors Influencing the Adaptation Process of Older Adults Facing Spousal Deaths: A Qualitative Study.

The death of a spouse, as the most stressful event in old age, can put the older adult at risk of death if they do not adapt again. Since the process of adapting to bereavement occurs in the context of social interactions and is experienced in different ways in different societies, this research was conducted with the aim of explaining the background and factors affecting the adaptation of the older adult to the death of their spouse. The experiences of 21 participants were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with Lundman and Granheim's conventional content analysis approach, which led to the creation of three main categories1: how one perceives loss; 2:quality of life after the deceased; and 3: the quality of marital life. The findings indicate the importance and impact of background factors in how the adaptation process occurs. Identifying these factors can provide practical solutions to experts, caregivers and bereaved older adult.

The “Opportunity Cost”: Care Work Compensation from a Gender Perspective in China

Asserting the value of care work within a family is not only a significant issue that affects the quality of marital life, but it also lays the groundwork for supporting the sustainable development of society and, ultimately, the country. Constantly, the theory of surplus value is employed to help understand the value of care work. However, it still lacks a macro-construction from a gender perspective. This article analyzes 15 judicial cases after introducing the Civil Code and compares the condition of application, the amount, and the factor considered in recognition of care work compensation under Chinese law. It concludes that in practice, the amount of compensation for care work remains relatively modest, with the division of the community property division heavily influencing it. At the macro level, the recognition of the economic value of the care work compensation must be emphasized from a gender construction. In contrast, at the micro level, a balance must be struck between the possibility of the other spouse benefiting from “the opportunity cost.”

Effectiveness of Compassion-based Couple Therapy in Family Functioning and Marital Life Quality of Couples with Spouses Suffering from Breast Cancer

Effectiveness of Compassion-based Couple Therapy in Family Functioning and Marital Life Quality of Couples with Spouses Suffering from Breast Cancer

Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy-based Skill Training on Distress Tolerance, Emotional Cognitive Regulation, and Marital Quality of Life in Women with Recurrent Miscarriages

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-based skill training on distress tolerance, emotional cognitive regulation, and marital quality of life in women with recurrent miscarriages. Methods: The population consisted of all women attending infertility clinics in Tehran during 2019-2020. A sample of 30 women was selected through convenience and purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 in each group). The instruments used in this study included: the Distress Tolerance Scale by Simons and Gaher (2005), Cognitive and Emotional Regulation Scale by Garnefski, Kraaij, and Spinhoven (2006), and Marital Quality of Life Scale by Fletcher, Simpson, and Thomas (2000). Repeated measures and a significance level of .05 were used for statistical analysis. Findings: The results showed significant differences in means between the two groups at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages, with significant improvements in distress tolerance, emotional cognitive regulation, and marital quality of life. The effect sizes of this treatment were 0.885, 0.910, and 0.983, respectively. Conclusion: Given the confirmed effectiveness of the treatment, it is recommended that these women receive psychological treatments in conjunction with medical treatments.

The Effectiveness of Positive Mindfulness Therapy on Covert Relational Aggression and Marital Life Quality of Women Suffering from Marital Maladjustment

Background and Objective: Women suffering from marital maladjustment face many problems in their married life, especially in psychological fields, including covert relational aggression and marital life quality. The present research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of positive mindfulness therapy on covert relational aggression and marital life quality of women suffering from marital maladjustment. Methods and Materials: This research was a semi-experimental with a pretest and posttest design with a control group. The research population were all women suffering from marital maladjustment who referred to counseling centers in the three cities of Tehran city in the autumn season of 2023 year; So that the sample size for each group was considered to be 20 people and these people after checking the inclusion criteria were selected by purposeful sampling method and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of 90 minutes of positive mindfulness therapy and the control group remained on the waiting list for therapy. To collect data were used from scales of covert relational aggression (Nelson and Carroll, 2006), marital quality life (Zhang et al., 2013) and marital adjustment (Spanier, 1976), and for data analysis were used from multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS version 26 software. Findings: The results showed that positive mindfulness therapy significantly reduced the covert relational aggression and increased the marital life quality of women suffering from marital maladjustment (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the mentioned results, therapists, counselors and psychologists can use positive mindfulness therapy to reduce the covert relational aggression and increase the marital life quality of vulnerable groups, including women suffering from marital maladjustment.

The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Sexual Function in Married Women: The Mediating Role of Stress

Objective: this study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep quality and sexual function mediated by stress among married women. Methods and Materials: The present study is applied and descriptive-correlational in nature. The statistical population consisted of married women in the city of Babol (age range: 25 to 45 years). Using purposive sampling, 318 participants were selected for the study. They were assessed using the Sleep Quality Questionnaire (1989), the Female Sexual Function Index (2000), and the Perceived Stress Scale (1983). Statistical analysis was conducted using simultaneous regression with SPSS version 23. Findings: The results showed that sleep quality is a significant predictor of sexual function. Additionally, the role of sleep quality in predicting perceived stress was significant. The findings indicated that perceived stress is a significant predictor of sexual function, and the relationship between sleep quality and sexual function is mediated by perceived stress (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study can help in developing practical strategies to improve sleep quality and reduce stress in married women, ultimately leading to better sexual function and enhanced marital quality of life.

The Role of Subconscious Factors in Determining the Quality of Marital Life of Iranian Couples: An Imago Relationships Therapy Perspective

This study investigated the relationship between five subconscious psychological factors and marital quality with data collected from 799 married adults in Iran. Participants completed two questionnaires assessing their subconscious factors and the quality of their marriages; questionnaires were based on the Imago theory and developed specifically for this study. Analysis of the data revealed a negative relationship between all five factors and quality of one’s marital life. The presence of these factors could lower the quality of marital life. Additionally, among all five factors, defenses had the largest influence on overall marital quality. Therefore, subconscious factors significantly impact marriage quality.

Comparative Analysis of Quality of Marital Life in Wives of Patients Dependent on Alcohol and Opioid Substances in Western Rajasthan

Abstract Background: Alcohol and opioid dependence syndrome has deleterious consequences not only on the patient but also on the members of family especially his wife who is most vulnerable to develop significant marital discord leading to poor quality of marital life given the intimate nature of their relationship. Methods: For psychiatric morbidity, 50 spouses of men with alcohol dependence syndrome were evaluated and compared with 50 spouses of men with opioid dependence syndrome . Quality of marital life and marital satisfaction was assessed MQS ( Marital Quality Scale ) by Anita Shah (1995).1 Results: MQS score in wives of ADS group was found to be 134±30.22 and MQS score in wives of ODS group was found to be 124.02±24.34 with a p value =0.072 which suggests that there is a non significant difference between the marital quality among wives of both group but individually the wives of ADS group experiences greater marital discord and poorer quality of marital life. Coclusions: Addressing these issues will be beneficial as spouses are important source of moral support and assistance to the substance user’s quest toward abstinence.

A Study to Assess the Level of Job Satisfaction and Quality of Marital Life among Staff Nurses Working in Shift Duties in a View to Develop a Booklet in Selected Hospitals of Jabalpur

Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess the level of job satisfaction and quality of marital life among staff nurses working in shift duties in a view to develop a booklet in selected hospitals of Jabalpur. Materials and Methods: The study involved Jabalpur’s Netaji Subhash Chand Bose Medical College and Hospital and Victoria’s Seth Govind Das district hospital staff nurses. A non-probability convenient sample of 100 staff nurses was chosen. Results: Staff nurses are 91% female and 9% male, with 46% aged 21–30 and 6% over 51. Arranged marriages 63%, love 18%. Nuclear families represent 46% and joint families 54%. 43% were married <5 years and 14% for over 15. About 40% of staff nurses have children, 22% did not. Compared to 9% of rural areas, 81% of staff nurses’ dwellings are residential. About 72% of staff nurses had diplomas and 2% had M.Sc. Staff nurse spouses were 70% government workers and 7% entrepreneurs. Staff nurses stated 4% had a family history of mental illness and 94% did not. A family history of drug or alcohol abuse showed that 8% of staff nurses were dependent and 92% were not. About 95% are middle, and 2% are low. Staff nurse contentment. Job satisfaction was 97% good for staff nurses and 0% low. Standard deviation: 3.98, mean job satisfaction: 39. Staff nurses’ marriage norm. About 13% of staff nurses were happy, and 42% were not. Conclusion: Job satisfaction among staff nurses was most strongly connected with years after marriage, number of children, monthly salary, and clinical experience, with a family history of mental illness being significantly lower. Sociodemographic factors did not affect job satisfaction. Many sociodemographic factors mattered. Demographical factors connected with job satisfaction and married life quality among Jabalpur hospital staff nurses.

Effectiveness Emotion Focused Therapy on Tendency to Marital Infidelity and Quality of Marital Life in Women with Low Sexual Desire

Effectiveness Emotion Focused Therapy on Tendency to Marital Infidelity and Quality of Marital Life in Women with Low Sexual Desire

Infertility and marital quality of life in couples (case study of infertile couples in Tehran)

Assistant Professor, Kharazmi University, School of Psychology and Education Department of counseling, Tehran, Iran.

Usefulness of the coparenting construct in studies of parents of a child with a disability

The aim of the article is to discuss the potential importance of the coparenting construct in learning about the essence of specific problems in the field of psychosocial functioning of families with a disabled child. Coparenting is a complex construct whose theoretical and empirical usefulness has been proven in many studies involving parents of non-disabled children. Coparenting describes how parents coordinate their shared responsibility for raising their children by supporting or undermining each other's parenting efforts. There are several theoretical propositions explaining its essence and context. This paper presents the basic assumptions of coparenting based on M. Feinberg's model. Selected trends illustrating its significance for the quality of marital life as well as for the development and functioning of children at different ages are shown. The authors present the results of current studies illustrating the role of coparenting in analyzing the situation of families with a disabled child. The authors also identify categories of issues in which the co-parenting analysis can provide important explanations, including the involvement of fathers or parental adaptation to life with a child with a disability. Some difficulties that may accompany implementing research using the construct are highlighted.

The Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Education on Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Life Quality and Life Expectancy in Mastectomized Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

The Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Education on Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Life Quality and Life Expectancy in Mastectomized Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Menopausal symptoms: prediction of quality of marital relationship among couples

Objective. The current study determined the association between menopausal symptoms and marital quality of life, and explored the role of several demographic variables (education, occupation, and income) on these symptoms. Materials and Methods. The purposive sample included 180 married couples. Wives experiencing premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause 35 to 60 years old (M=45.21 & SD=7.47) were recruited from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Two assessment instruments were used: Menopause Rating Scale- MRS for menopausal symptoms, and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale- EMS for quality of marital relationship. Results. Wives’ quality of marital relationship was not significantly predicted by menopausal symptoms whereas husbands’ quality of marital relationship was significantly predicted by psychological (but not physical) symptoms of menopause. Also, several differences in menopausal symptoms and quality of marital relationship were found in relation to demographic variables. Conclusions. Clinicians should consider the relevance of psychological symptoms of menopause, and not just physical symptoms, in relationship assessment, a result that has research, practice, education and public health implications. Furthermore, possible cultural differences in the perception of menopausal effects should be addressed in greater depth.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire for Emotional Divorce Measurement: A Mixed Research on Family Mental Health Context

Background & objectives: Emotional divorce, seems to be a reducing factor in the quality of marital life and mental health. This study aimed to design, construct and validate an emotional divorce instrument. Materials & Methods: This study was an applied, psychometric survey using a multi-stage sampling method conducted on 805 women living in Iran between 2015 to 2018. After determining the items in a semi-structured qualitative study, face, content, structure, and concurrent validity as well as the split-half and Cronbach's alpha coefficient methods for reliability evaluation were used. For all analyses, the SPSS19 software (IBM Corp, 2013) and for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) LISREL 8.8 was used. Results: 36.81% of the total variance was justified by 63 factors with Eigenvalues of less than 1 and 63.19% by the first 12 factors with an Eigenvalue of higher than 1. The final questionnaire consisted of 66 questions. The total Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.979. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) resulted in five factors consisting of "love and interest in the spouse", "attention to the needs and practice the tasks", "controversy and misbehavior", "mental health", and "respect and appreciation". The results of the CFA confirmed model derived from the EFA (Chi-Square=7653.70, df =2503, P-value= 0.0000, RMSEA = 0.051). Conclusion: The reliability of this questionnaire was high in two consecutive evaluations. The structural validity also led to the identification of the desired number of items. Hence, this questionnaire seems to be an appropriate tool for assessing emotional divorce as a feature of quality of marital life. However, further investigation is needed for tool efficiency assessment in different communities.

Comparing General Health and Happiness in Elderly Women With and Without a Spouse Referring to Health Centers in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2018

Background & Aims: Given the increasing elderly population in Iran, it seems necessary to pay attention to the general health of the elderly women without a spouse, who constitute a significant percentage of the elderly population in Iran. This study aimed to compare the general health and happiness of elderly women with and without a spouse referred to Bandar Abbas health centers in 2018. Materials & Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 390 elderly women with and without a spouse, using the quota cluster sampling method. Data were collected using three questionnaires (demographic, Goldberg and Hillier's General Health, and Oxford Happiness) and were processed using SPSS software v. 21. Results: In this study, out of 260 elderly women with a spouse, 218 (83.8%), and out of 130 elderly women without a spouse, 83 (63.8%) were under 70 years old. Most women without a spouse (67.6%) and a spouse (65%) have 5 to 9 children. About half of women in the two groups (48.5% in the group with a spouse and 50% in the other group) had primary education, most (94.2% in the group with a spouse, and 95.4% in the group without a spouse) were housewives. In terms of economic status, most of the two groups (61.5% of each group) were at a moderate level. The two groups were homogeneous regarding demographic variables except for age and years of living with a spouse (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that the average general health score in both groups was lower than the cut-off points for the whole test (23), which indicates the excellent health level of most of these women. But the average health score in this study is higher than the results of the Yazdani study in Tehran. (Yazdani, 2010), and Nejati study in Qom (Nejati, 2005). The study also found that the mean happiness score was higher in married women, but this difference was not statistically significant. (P=0.17). Other factors besides having a spouse, such as the quality of marital life, also play a role in the mental health of older women.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Combined Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Compassion Therapy in Improving the Quality of Marital Life and Dimensions of Couple Attachment

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of combined emotionally focused couple therapy and compassion therapy in improving the quality of marital life and dimensions of attachment of couples who visited counseling centers in Isfahan. Methods: The present study had a one-case experimental design and was conducted in 2019. The statistical population consisted of all couples who visited psychological centers and clinics in Isfahan. Sampling was performed on all couples who visited centers and clinics of Isfahan in winter 2019 for marital problems, and three couples were selected using the convenience method according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After initial sampling, three couples were included in the combined group of emotionally focused therapy and compassion therapy. The Marital Quality of Life Questionnaire (Marital Relationships) and the Collins and Read adult attachment Scale were used to collect data. The participants underwent combined emotionally focused couple therapy and compassion therapy in a session per week (12 sessions). Data were analyzed using the visual mapping, reliable change index, and recovery percentage formula. Results: Data analysis indicated the effectiveness of therapy in couples who were underwent combined emotionally focused couple therapy and compassionate therapy. Conclusion: The combination of emotionally focused couple therapy and compassion therapy affected the quality of marital life and dimensions of couple attachment, and thus the approach can be utilized to improve relationships and reduce divorce in society.

The mediating role of latent communication aggression in the relationship between intolerance of indecision and extramarital affairs

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of latent communication aggression in the relationship between intolerance of indecision and extramarital relationships. Method: This is a descriptive study of correlational research. The statistical population of the study consisted of couples who referred to counseling centers in Alborz province in 1398 for marital counseling. The research sample was selected by available sampling. The required sample size in this study was 260 people based on Cochran's method and 254 samples (including 127 males and 127 females) were selected taking into account the sample loss. Research instruments included the Whitley (2008) Attitudes Toward Extramarital Relationships Scale, the Freeston et al. (1994) Uncertainty Intolerance Scale (1994), and the Nelson & Carroll (2006) Hidden Communication Aggression Scale. In this research, path analysis method was used to analyze the data by observing the relevant assumptions. Results: The results of data analysis showed that the model fit indices were in good condition. Intolerance of uncertainty directly and indirectly (considering the mediating role of latent communication aggression) affects extramarital relationships (p <0.05). Hidden aggression also directly affects extramarital affairs (p <0.05). Conclusion: Based on the research findings, it can be said that correcting intolerance of uncertainty and latent aggression as preconditions of extramarital relationships, improves the quality of marital life of couples, and has a significant effect on preventing extramarital affairs.

Psychoeducational Interventions on Conflict Resolution Styles among Individuals Involved in Commuter Marriages

Couples in commuter marriages who live apart face many challenges, such as having ineffective communications which lead to conflict. Couples who use a positive and constructive conflict resolution style, have a better chance of getting a better quality of marital life. This intervention aims to provide psychoeducation to participants in order to understand conflict resolution styles that can be applied when dealing with and resolving conflicts in commuter marriages. The evaluation of the intervention effect was carried out by comparing the knowledge and skill to the application of conflict resolution styles, before and after the intervention. After being given psychoeducation, it was found that 25 participants changed the resolution style they would use when experiencing conflict with their partner. While the other 5 participants still chose the same resolution style. In conclusion, through this psychoeducation, participants have new knowledge about various resolution styles that can be used, and according to the conflict conditions experienced by each partner.