Marital Tension Research Articles

Diagnosis Study of Peptic Ulcer in Iraqi Patients Students

Background: Even in the absence of a Helicobacter pylori infection, psychological stress and a need for fast food can cause peptic ulcer. Research on the relationship between sociodemographic traits and peptic ulcers has revealed a number of risk factors, including a packed family, poor income, unemployment, marital tension, and physical and mental strain. The aim of the current study is to determine the clinical picture of gastric ulcer based on medical history and social status in a sample of Iraqi patients. Methods: Students studying science and medicine who had signs of peptic ulcer disease were the subjects of a cross-sectional investigation. The sample was collected during the period of one year, November 2021 to February 2022. Initially, the procedure was elucidated to the patients, and informed consent was obtained from all enrolled individuals. Peptic ulcer disease was diagnosed by routine examinations, Helicobacter pylori diagnosis by stool antigen test, and gastroduodenoscopy of the patients, in addition to taking the medical history and information about the social status. Results: The study included 45 patients with peptic ulcer, 15 (33.33%) males and 30 (66.66%) females, aged 19-26 years. The control group was 25 healthy individuals, and their symptoms were either acute abdominal pain proven to be caused by peptic ulcer in the patients or hematemesis in 13 (28.88%) patients. Conclusion: Peptic ulcers can be visualised and bleeding can occur, so there should be awareness of pain management and prompt treatment. There should be good and effective analgesia, reassurance, and empathy with patients, and advice on protection against gastric and intestinal ulcers when needed.

Blaming the house: women's efforts to preserve marriage in a rural Sinhala village

AbstractIn rural Sri Lanka, marital tension, frequently leading to violence, is an increasing problem. This article explores how the house becomes both the source of problems and a possible solution to them. By examining the way that the social, material, and symbolic dimensions of houses are made to interact, I show how women effect the shaping of social relations and homemaking. Specifically, I focus on how houses become spaces where women are expected to embody the ideals of wifehood and motherhood, thereby creating and maintaining a ‘good house’. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted over fourteen months in a rural village, I illustrate the ways in which women actively engage in strategies to construct and preserve their houses as spaces free from violence. I describe how women, in addition to their traditional caregiving roles, employ the science of architecture (vāstu vidyava) to restructure their houses as a way to promote peace and prosperity. As a result, houses emerge as strategic allies in women's lives, facilitating their pursuit of the desired ‘good life’.

Humor as an ice breaker in marital tension: A family communication perspective

Humor is a communicative tool employed by a person to amuse others. Numerous research have been conducted on how humor is used in deflating tension in romantic relationships, but little to no research has been done on the study in the Ghanaian context. Using relief theory of humor, the researcher studied 20 married couples (10 males and 10 females) within and around the Univesity of Cape Coast: 10 males and 10 females respectively were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Based on the data analyzed, the researcher identified that humor function aids in the expression of a message that will otherwise be difficult to convey. This suggestion affirms that despite the presence of tension in marriage, humor always helps in calming nerves by reducing the tension.

Parents in couple therapy: An intervention targeting marital and coparenting relationships.

This article describes the treatment framework and core therapeutic principles of the integrative brief systemic intervention (IBSI), a manualized six‐session intervention intended for parents seeking couple therapy. IBSI aims to work on the couple's presenting problem, considering its specific impact in the marital and coparenting domains. The basic premise of IBSI is to consider that, when working with couples who have children, therapeutic work on their coparenting alliance may be used as a lever, as both parents may be particularly motivated to improve their relationship for their children's benefit. Increasing the coparenting alliance may then facilitate work on deeper conflicts within the marital relationship. The core therapeutic principles of IBSI are: (1) joining with the couple as romantic partners and a coparenting team from the start of the therapeutic process; (2) supporting the parents in increasing their awareness regarding their children's behavior and emotional experiences when facing their parents’ conflicts; and (3) working on the spill‐ and cross‐over effects between marital and coparenting relationships (i.e., exploring how conflict or positivity spills over from one relationship to the other or crosses over from one partner to the other). Therapeutic work following these main therapeutic principles is expected to improve the quality of both relationships. A clinical case is provided to illustrate the core therapeutic principles of IBSI.

The effectiveness of reality therapy on covert communication aggression and marital tension among women seeking divorce

The effectiveness of reality therapy on covert communication aggression and marital tension among women seeking divorce

The effectiveness of reality therapy on covert communication aggression and marital tension among women seeking divorce

Background and Purpose: family is the first and most important social institution and a healthy society depends on having a healthy couple who strive to achieve their goals with a suitable level of marital satisfaction. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of reality therapy on hidden communication aggression and marital tension among women applying for divorce in Babol city. Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. Among the women applying for divorce, a sample of 30 people was selected by non-random sampling method and they were replaced in an experimental group (therapy based on acceptance and commitment) and a control group in a simple random manner. (15 people in each group). After evaluating 30 women applying for divorce whose level of hidden communication violence was higher than the cut-off point and who met the necessary conditions, they were identified and then divided into two groups of 15 people, the test and the test. Then, 8 sessions of 90-minute reality therapy (Glaser, 2005) were conducted in the experimental group in person and in compliance with health protocols. Data were collected using Nelson and Carroll's covert communication aggression questionnaire (2006) and the Stockholm marital tension scale of Orth Gomer et al. (2000). Data analysis was done using the statistical test of analysis of variance with repeated measurements and Spss.22 software. Results: The results of the research showed that reality therapy is effective on hidden communication aggression (P<0.001) and marital tension (P<0.001) among women seeking divorce. Also, the results of the follow-up test showed that the effect of reality therapy continued until the follow-up period. Conclusion: It can be concluded that reality therapy was effective on covert communication aggression and marital tension among women seeking divorce and this effect continued until the follow-up period.

The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Marital Tension and Forgiveness among Women Seeking Divorce

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based treatment on marital tension and forgiveness among women seeking divorce in Babol. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a two-group pretest-posttest design. Among the women seeking divorce, a sample of 30 people was selected by purposive non-random sampling method and replaced in a experimental group (acceptance and commitment therapy) and a control group by simple random sampling. (15 people in each group). After evaluating 30 women applicants for divorce, whose level of covert communication violence was higher than the cut-off point and had the necessary conditions, it was identified and then divided into three groups of 15, two experimental groups and one control group. Then, 8 sessions of 90-minute treatment based on acceptance and commitment (Hayes et al., 2004) were performed in the experimental group in person and in accordance with health protocols. Data were collected using the Stockholm Orth Gomer et al. (2000) Marital Stress Scale and the Pollard & Anderson (1988) Forgiveness Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that acceptance and commitment-based therapy on marital stress (F=31.53, p<0.001) and forgiveness (F=34.25, p <0.001) among women applicants. Divorce is effective. Also, the results of post hoc test showed that the effect of treatment based on acceptance and commitment continued until the follow-up period. Conclusion: It can be concluded that treatment based on acceptance and commitment was effective on marital tension and forgiveness among women seeking divorce and this effect continued until the follow-up period.

Employee well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of teleworking during the first lockdown in the province of Quebec, Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on all aspects of society, including mental health. Many employees have had to pivot suddenly to teleworking to prevent the virus from spreading. While teleworking may have some negative consequences, it may also represent a human resources practice that may improve employee well-being. The study main objective was to determine if teleworking played a moderating role in the relation between potential stressors and employee well-being during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic when working from home. This was based on the theory of conservation of resources. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted with Stata 13 software to determine the contribution of potential stressors on employee well-being, as well as the moderating role of teleworking on a sample of 480 Canadian employees. Data were collected once for white and blue collar from both public (67.08%) and private (32.92%) business sectors. Results indicated that work-life imbalances, workload, and marital tension were associated with lower levels of well-being. On the other hand, teleworking and household income were associated with higher levels of well-being. Teleworking also moderated the differences in well-being between the public and private sectors. Teleworking in the public sector seems to increase employee well-being. Conversely, working on-site in the public sector seems to decrease well-being. Employers need to proactively address work-life imbalances, workloads, and teleworking to maintain employee well-being. Specific recommendations are offered to ensure that teleworking remains positive for employee well-being both during a pandemic and afterward.

Perceptions on preeclampsia and eclampsia among senior, older women, in rural Southwestern Uganda.

BackgroundEclampsia is among the leading causes of maternal mortality. It is a serious hypertensive complication of pregnancy and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life. Pregnancy-related hypertension complications predispose to chronic hypertension and premature heart attacks. A significant proportion of women with preeclampsia/eclampsia does not reach the formal healthcare system or arrive too late because of certain traditional or cultural beliefs about the condition. The older, senior women in the community are knowledgeable and play a significant role in decision making regarding where mothers should seek maternal health care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of older and senior women regarding the manifestation of, risk factors and possible causes of preeclampsia/eclampsia.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study in rural Southwestern Uganda. The key informants were senior, older women including community elders, village health team members and traditional birth attendants who were believed to hold local knowledge and influence on birth and delivery. We purposively selected key informants and data were collected till we reached saturation point. We analyzed data using an inductive thematic approach to identify themes.ResultsWe interviewed 20 key informants with four themes identified. The ‘causes’ theme emerged from the subthemes of confusion with other conditions, spiritual beliefs and high blood pressure. The ‘risk factors’ theme emerged from the subthemes of oedema-related illnesses, poverty-induced malnutrition, and strained relationships. The ‘remedies’ theme emerged from the consistent mention of traditional herbal treatment, seek medical help, spiritual healing, emotional healing and corrective nutrition as potential solutions. The theme ‘effects of preeclampsia/eclampsia’ emerged from the mention of pregnancy complications like premature delivery, child loss, operative delivery like caesarian section delivery as well as death. There was no identifiable local name from the interviews. Women carried several myths regarding the cause and these included little blood, witchcraft, ghost attacks and stress from strained relationships including marital tension. Women were generally aware of the outcomes of eclampsia, mainly that it kills.ConclusionsEclampsia is associated with significant myths and misconceptions in this rural community. We recommend interventions to increase awareness and dispel these myths and misconceptions, increase access to antenatal preeclampsia surveillance, and facilitate timely referral for basic maternity care as means for early detection and management of preeclampsia.

Men with cancer and their experiences of marital relationships: a struggle for control and balance

Presently, there is a general understanding that health, illness and rehabilitation should be studied in a relational context, and that people’s experiences, perceptions and practices in relation to health and recovery are formed relationally and contextually. The aim of this paper is to consider and discuss how men experienced their marital relationships, after being diagnosed with cancer. The empirical material is based on the authors’ ethnographic fieldworks, including participant observation and interviews with men who have or have had cancer. The analysis is informed by the anthropologist Michael Jackson’s notion of intersubjectivity and his argument that intersubjectivity continually and dialectically moves between the complementary poles of compassion and conflict. We demonstrate how the men appreciated their partners’ support and care, but also that the cancer disease and the treatment could cause marital friction and tension. Due to their new life circumstances and subject positions, the men continuously shifted between the poles of compassion and conflict, struggling for balance and control, including negotiations of how to perform their masculinity.

Maternal Differential Treatment and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Marital Tension and Sibling Tension?

Past research used equity theory and social comparison theory to explain the direct effect of maternal differential treatment (MDT) on psychological well-being. However, this focus on psychological pathways ignores possible social pathways, such as indirect effects of MDT on well-being through disrupting other family relationships. This study uses stress proliferation theory to argue that MDT, as a primary stressor in mother-child relationships, can produce secondary stressors in other family relationships (e.g., sibling tension and marital tension), which in turn leads to lower psychological well-being. To investigate this mechanism, we conducted multilevel mediation analysis using data collected from 720 adult children nested within 308 families, as part of the Within-Family Differences Study. We found that sibling tension mediates the association between adult children's perceptions of maternal disfavoritism and their psychological well-being-a process we call the stress proliferation of maternal disfavoritism. In contrast, adult children's perceptions of maternal favoritism cannot trigger this stress proliferation process of producing marital tension nor sibling tension. The evaluation of the stress proliferation process of maternal favoritism and disfavoritism can help us to understand the difference in effects across various dimensions of MDT. This study contributes to the literature on social relationships as social determinants of health by investigating how intergenerational relationships are connected to other family relationships to affect family members' health.

Family Formation, Fertility, and Failure: A Literature Review on Price Increases and Their Impact on the Family Institution

Inflation not only debases the value of currency by lowering purchasing power. It also serves to erode the quantity and quality of marriages while creating distortions in the decision-making processes of those hoping to form marriages and to have children. Furthermore, a loss of purchasing power helps to create relational tension for married couples, contributing to increasing divorce rates throughout the globe. As for the formation of families via marriage, the literature surrounding inflation and the family shows that price increases in higher education and housing both limit the number of first marriages as well raising the average age at which they occur. These phenomena are present in Western democracies, Islamic theocratic regimes, and highly-developed East Asian economies. Rising prices impact already married couples who would pro-create, but decide to accelerate or nearly eliminate child-bearing based on the inflationary environment in which they live. Finally, the literature shows that a loss of purchasing power leads to marital tension and higher rates of divorce. This trend is exhibited all over the world. This relationship occurs across cultural and religious systems as well as differing levels of economic development. While the problem of rising prices is economic in nature, it is shown to have deleterious effects upon the family institution.

Beyond destructive conflict: Implications of marital tension for marital well-being.

The present study expanded upon existing literature to investigate a broader construct of negativity, marital tension, and its implications for marital well-being across the early years of marriage. Marital tension captures feelings of irritation, resentment, and disappointment surrounding the relationship, and is distinct from conflict and specific conflict strategies. Longitudinal data spanning 16 years from the Early Years of Marriage Study (n = 373 couples) were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence models. Competing hypotheses derived from the enduring dynamics and emergent distress models of marriage were tested using measures of both partners' marital tension in Year 1 of marriage, as well as changes in marital tension from Year 1. Husbands and wives who reported greater marital tension in Year 1 of marriage, or showed increases in tension from Year 1, reported lower marital well-being. The link between respondents' own Year 1 tension and marital well-being was strengthened by their partners' reports of tension, but an amplification effect of both partners' changes in marital tension was observed only among wives. These results persisted even after accounting for the influence of destructive conflict. Findings provide evidence for both models of marriage, indicating that negativity should be assessed more broadly, include both members of the couple, and recognize the critical role of early marital tension as well as increased tension for marital well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Beyond Destructive Conflict: Implications of Marital Tension for Marital Well-Being

Supplemental Material for Beyond Destructive Conflict: Implications of Marital Tension for Marital Well-Being

THE ROLES OF GENDER AND MOTHERS’ CARE PREFERENCES IN THE IMPACT OF CAREGIVING ON ADULT CHILDREN’S MARITAL QUALITY

Adult children often incur a wide array of psychological, personal and interpersonal costs when caring for parents in later life, including to their marital relationships. These costs are moderated by many factors, including characteristics of the parent, the child, and the caregiver’s spouse. One potentially important moderator that has not been considered is the role of children’s perceptions of whether they are their parents’ preferred caregivers. In this paper, we used mixed-method data collected from 506 adult children as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-II to explore how gender and perceptions of mothers’ caregiving preferences interacted to affect marital tension. Multi-level modeling revealed that among daughters, but not sons, marital tension was lower when spouses perceived that they were their mothers’ preferred caregivers. Qualitative analyses suggested this occurred because husbands were more understanding of their wives’ heavy caregiving responsibilities when they perceived their wives were motivated by their mothers’ needs.

Daily Links Between Sleep and Anger Among Spouses of Chronic Pain Patients.

This study identified daily associations between sleep, emotion, and marital functioning in the context of chronic pain. Because spouses' sleep is compromised on nights when patients experience more pain, we set out to identify implications of spouses' sleep for their own emotion (anger) upon waking and marital interaction (marital tension) throughout the rest of the day. We further considered whether spouses' critical attitudes about patients' pain-related coping exacerbated associations between their sleep, morning anger, and marital tension. Data came from a study of knee osteoarthritis patients (50+ years old) and spouses (N = 138 couples) who completed daily diaries across 22 days. Multilevel models were estimated to test hypotheses. Spouses woke up angrier on mornings when they reported that their sleep was more unrefreshing than usual. This association was stronger among more critical spouses. Morning anger resulting from unrefreshing sleep, however, did not predict marital tension throughout the rest of the day. Findings highlight the potential value of intervention efforts aimed at promoting spouses' sleep quality in an effort to offset negative emotional consequences that may undermine spouses' and patients' adjustment in the context of chronic pain.

Daily Marital Tension and Symptom Severity in Older Adults With Diabetes or Osteoarthritis.

Greater marital quality is associated with better psychological and physical health. The quality of daily marital interactions is likely to be especially important for individuals with chronic illness, but this question has received little attention. Using data from two diary studies, the current study examined whether individuals with chronic illness would experience more severe symptoms on days with more marital tension due in part to greater negative affect on those days. The samples included individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA, N = 145) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, N = 129) and their spouses. Participants reported on daily marital interaction quality, affect, and symptom severity (patients only) for 22 days (knee OA) or 24 days (T2DM). Separate multilevel models were run for patients and spouses, controlling for the partner's marital tension and negative affect as well as both partners' daily marital enjoyment and positive affect. We examined same-day and across-day associations. For individuals with T2DM or knee OA, more severe symptoms on days with more marital tension were due in part to their greater negative affect on those days. Individuals with knee OA who experienced more pain had more negative affect and marital tension the next day. Negative marital interactions may exacerbate physical symptoms. Effects of daily marital tension likely accumulate over time and have long-term implications for health.

Couples’ day-to-day pain concordance and marital interaction quality

Chronic pain is a common stressor in couples’ daily lives, but little is known about couples’ day-to-day pain concordance (i.e., agreement regarding one partner’s level of pain) and its relevance to both partners’ daily marital interaction quality. Using 22-day diaries of patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and their spouses, the current study sought to quantify the degree of daily fluctuation in both partners’ reports of patient pain, pain concordance, and marital interaction quality as well as assess the links between daily concordance and marital tension and enjoyment. Half of the variability in patient–spouse pain concordance and marital interaction quality was attributable to daily fluctuations in these experiences. Furthermore, after accounting for global marital satisfaction, on days when spouses overestimated pain, patients enjoyed marital interactions more, whereas spouses themselves experienced greater tension. Findings underscore the importance of examining pain concordance at the daily level, pain agreement’s significance for everyday marital function, and the potential challenge chronic illness poses for partners in daily life.

The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

Marriages are often characterized by their positive and negative features in terms of whether they elicit feelings of satisfaction and happiness or conflict and negativity. Although research has examined the development of marital happiness, less is known about the development of negativity among married couples. We examined how marital tension (i.e., feelings of tension, resentment, irritation) develops within couples over time and whether marital tension has unique implications for divorce. Specifically, we examined marital tension among husbands and wives within the same couples from the first to the sixteenth year of marriage, as well as links between marital tension and divorce. Participants included 355 couples assessed in years 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 16 of marriage. Multilevel models revealed that wives reported greater marital tension than husbands. Marital tension increased over time among both husbands and wives, with a greater increase among husbands. Couples were more likely to divorce when wives reported higher marital tension, a greater increase in marital tension, and greater cumulative marital tension. Findings are consistent with the emergent distress model of marriage, but indicate that despite the greater increases in marital tension among husbands, wives' increased marital tension over the course of marriage is more consistently associated with divorce. (PsycINFO Database Record

Diaspora and Identity in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth:

Women in Jhumpa Lahiri’s works are often found isolated in a diasporic world. They fall into a complicated situation when they begin their life in a new country. They are mostly identified as complex, intelligent, and questioning women who are not happy with the status quo and turn rebels against the established order. Lahiri presents women’s subjugation, motherhood, quest for identity, cultural and generational conflicts, marital tension, and the lack of communication between people in Unaccustomed Earth. Indian women immigrants in America are caught between the Indian traditions they left behind and the different alien world that they have to face. They are subjugated under patriarchy and are forced to adopt diasporic culture. In a new diasporic culture, they form a new identity – their daughters, who represent the second generation, experience the same hurdles as their mothers. This paper seeks to explore the status of Indian immigrant women’s identity in America, the identity crisis of their daughters, and the uncertainty of American women