Spouse Perceptions Research Articles

Coronavirus Fear and Life Quality Perceptions of COVID-19 Positive Patients' Spouses

This study was conducted to determine the fear of coronavirus and quality of life perceptions of the spouses of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were treated and discharged. This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted with the spouses of 111 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in a district state hospital and were treated and discharged. Data were collected with the Patient Spouse Identification Form, the COVID-19 Fear Scale, and the WHOQOL BREF 27 Quality of Life Scale. Data were evaluated by percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t test, Mann Whitney-U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson Correlation coefficient. The mean COVID-19 Fear scale score of the participants was 16.92 ± 6.20. A statistically significant difference was found between the education level, chronic disease status, hospitalization period of the spouse, and knowledge of the new type of coronavirus and the quality of life sub-dimensions mean scores of the participants. As individuals' fear levels increase, the quality of life psychological health sub-dimension score decreases.

Spillover and crossover from work overload to spouse-rated work-to-family conflict: The moderating role of cross-role trait consistency

While most previous research in social psychology shows benefits of individuals’ consistency in personality across different social roles, the current study brings the concept of cross-role trait consistency to the context of management and examines its dark side. Data from 197 couples showed that an employee's work overload was positively associated with his/her spouse's perception of how much the employee's work interfered with family life. This relationship was mediated by the employee's job burnout. More importantly, this mediating relationship was moderated by the employee's cross-role trait consistency. These findings indicate that work overload may affect spouses’ perception of employees’ work-to-family conflict through job burnout, with the transmission of burnout on work-to-family conflict stronger among employees high in cross-role trait consistency. Thus, cross-role trait consistency appears to strengthen negative spillover and crossover from work to family. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Research on the relationship between marital commitment, sacrifice behavior and marital quality of military couples.

Based on the actor-partner interdependence model, this paper studied the relationship between marital commitment, sacrifice behavior and marital quality of military couples. A convenience sample of 171 Chinese military couples from Guangdong, Jiangsu and Sichuan province was used. All participants completed the self-report questionnaires independently including the Dimension of Commitment Inventory (DCI), the Couples Sacrifice Behavior Scale (CSBS) and the Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH). Results showed that the scores of marital commitment and marital quality of male soldiers were significantly higher than that of their spouses. Compared to their spouses, male soldiers reported higher frequency of sacrifice behaviors and perceiving sacrifice behaviors of spouses. Furthermore, the marital commitment of military couples had significant influence on their own marital quality and frequency of perceiving each other’s sacrifice behavior Military couples’ perception of the frequency of each other’s sacrifice behavior partially mediated the effect of marital commitment on their marital quality. Male soldiers’ perception of spouse’s sacrifice behavior frequency significantly predicted the marital quality of their spouses.

Spousal Psychological Health: The Role of Military Spouse Health and Protective Factors

Military spouses play an important role in enabling military operational effectiveness. Studies show that poor physical and psychological health among military members negatively impacts the well-being of their spouses. However, little is known about the main challenges and protective factors related to the well-being of military spouses dealing with ill or injured military members. Existing research has mostly focused on one perspective—either military members’ or spousal. Therefore, this quantitative study was conducted with a matched (member and spouse) sample (N = 130). The aim of the research was to understand the role of military members’ illness from both the members’ and spousal perspectives, as well as the role of protective factors, including relationship quality and social support, in the well-being of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spouses. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that members’ psychological health predicted the psychological health of military spouses. Analyses also revealed that spousal perception of the relationship quality was a key predictor of spousal life satisfaction and psychological distress.

Marital Quality and Heavy Alcohol Use Among Older Couples

Supportive marital relationships may reduce partners’ problematic health behaviors, whereas unhappy relationships may lack efficacious spousal monitoring of health and increase the likelihood of using maladaptive coping strategies, such as heavy alcohol use, to deal with relationship problems. We used pooled data from the 2014 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to examine how both partners’ perceptions of marital quality were associated with heavy drinking. Our analytic sample included married couples in which both spouses were over age 50, completed the leave-behind psychosocial questionnaire, and provided non-missing data on marital quality and alcohol use (n=2,095 couples). Measures included both positive and negative dimensions of marital quality and controls for sociodemographic, economic, health, household and marital characteristics. Using Proc Glimmix, we estimated a dual-intercept Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), in which separate equations were computed simultaneously for husbands and wives. For husbands, higher negative marital quality was associated with an increase in the odds of their own heavy drinking (OR=1.27), but there was no significant association between wives’ marital quality and husbands’ heavy drinking behavior. For wives, marital quality was not significantly associated with their own heavy drinking, but husbands’ higher ratings of both negative and positive marital quality increased the risk of wives’ heavy drinking (OR=1.60 and OR=1.75, respectively). Results suggest that marital quality is associated with heavy drinking in later life: self-ratings of marital quality matter for men, whereas spousal perceptions of marital quality are more important for women.

Activated at home but deactivated at work: How daily mobile work leads to next‐day psychological withdrawal behavior

SummaryDrawing from the effort‐recovery model and the work–home resources model, we investigate the linking mechanisms between daily mobile work and next‐day psychological withdrawal behavior. Using a recovery lens, we propose that an employee's mobile work negatively relates to state resilience via psychological detachment from work on a daily basis. In light of a work‐to‐home process, we suggest that the focal employee's daily mobile work negatively relates to the spouse's relationship satisfaction via spouse perception of the employee's psychological detachment. In light of a home‐to‐work process, we also focus on state resilience as a mediator that translates diminished recovery and home outcomes into psychological withdrawal behavior. We tested our hypotheses using experience sampling data from 106 couples for 15 consecutive workdays. Results showed that the focal employee's mobile work was negatively associated with state resilience through decreased psychological detachment. On days when the employee engaged in mobile work more frequently, the spouse perceived the employees' psychological detachment as being weaker; moreover, the spouse experienced lower relationship satisfaction. Overall, the employee's daily mobile work was positively and indirectly associated with next‐day psychological withdrawal behavior via psychological detachment and state resilience. The spouse's relationship satisfaction did not relate to the employee's state resilience.

Barriers to Contraceptive Use Among Urban Adolescents and Youth in Conakry, in 2019, Guinea.

Background: Despite efforts to improve access to family planning, contraceptive prevalence remains relatively low among adolescents and youth in Guinea. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers to the use of modern contraceptive methods among urban adolescents and youth (15–24 years) in Conakry, Guinea.Methods: This was a qualitative study using an exploratory design. It was conducted in the capital city of Guinea, Conakry in 2019. Respondents included adolescents and youth aged 15–24 years, health care providers, and parents of adolescents and youth. In-depth individual interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to collect the data. Sixty IDIs and ten FGDs were planned in Conakry. These data were recorded and transcribed, when applicable, from the local languages into French in an anonymous manner. The data were analyzed using a mixed (inductive and deductive) thematic approach following the elements of the socio-ecological model.Results: Overall, 56 IDIs and 10 FGDs were conducted with 136 participants and included in this analysis. Respondents were adolescents (16%), youth (30%), and key informants (54%) who were health care providers (public and private), decision-makers, parents of adolescents and youth, and neighbors. Among adolescent respondents, 75% were female, and of the youth, 61% were female. Our analysis indicates various and interrelated barriers that limit the access and use of contraceptives by adolescents and youth. These included the individual (fear of side effects, cost, and rumor-related misinformation), interpersonal or family (spouse perception and sexuality taboo and perception of sexual activity before marriage), sociocultural (religious prohibitions and ethnicity), and health care system (breakdown of contraceptive methods in public health facilities, perception of service delivery, provider attitudes, visiting hours, geographic proximity of services, and quality of training received by health care providers) barriers.Conclusion: In our context, the use of modern contraceptive methods by adolescents and youth is influenced by an interaction of various barriers, including individual, interpersonal, sociocultural, and health care system factors. Strengthening contraceptive uptake interventions by involving different stakeholders, including adolescents, parents, religious, and community leaders, and improving the quality of sexual and reproductive health services would help in reducing barriers to contraceptive use among adolescents and youth.

Military Spouses’ Perceptions of Suicide in the Military Spouse Community

Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Defense shows military spouse suicide to be an imminent concern for the U.S. military. Currently, there is an absence of research in the counseling profession related to suicide prevention and intervention for this population. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of military spouses regarding suicide within their community. Ten military spouses were interviewed twice and were asked to provide written responses to follow-up questions. Six main themes emerged: (a) loss of control, (b) loss of identity, (c) fear of seeking mental health services, (d) difficulty accessing mental health services, (e) the military spouse community as a protective factor, and (f) desire for better communication about available mental health resources. Implications for practicing counselors and military leadership in helping to prevent military spouse suicide as well as recommendations for future research regarding ways to support military spouse mental health and prevent suicide in this community are included.

The association between relationship strain and emotional well-being among older adult couples: the moderating role of social connectedness

Objectives The present study examines the moderating role of social connectedness (i.e. closeness, talk frequency, social network size, and neighborhood social ties) in the association between one’s own and spouse’s relationship strain and emotional well-being (i.e. depressive symptoms, happiness, and loneliness). Method Married couples (N = 865) were drawn from the second wave of the National Social, Health, and Aging Project. One Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and one Actor Partner Interdependence Model with Moderation (APIMoM) were conducted. Results In terms of actor effects, relationship strain was associated with all emotional well-being outcomes. Wives’ and husbands’ greater relationship strain was associated with spouses’ loneliness. Only wives’ greater relationship strain was associated with her husbands’ higher level of depressive symptoms and no partner effects were found for happiness. In six instances, social connectedness factors helped to ameliorate the association between self/spouse relationship strain, depressive symptoms, and happiness. However, wives’ greater neighborhood social ties amplified the association between wives greater relationship strain and husbands’ greater depressive symptoms. We did not find that social connectedness factors moderated the associations between self/spouse relationship strain and loneliness. Conclusion Even in late life marriages, marital strain is associated with less happiness and greater depressive symptoms and loneliness. Practitioners addressing emotional well-being may need to pay attention to spousal perceptions of relationship strain and social relationships external to the marital relationship when working with heterosexual couples. Efforts throughout the life course should be made to ensure connections with diverse types of social networks. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1910786.

Development of a work–family conflict scale for spouses or partners of police officers

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to initiate the development of a police-specific measure of work–family conflict (WFC) to assess spouse and/or partner perceptions of the impact of WFC on them, their family and/or their personal lives by tapping existing dimensions of WFC and proposing three dimensions that may be specific to the policing profession. This developmental and exploratory work will serve as the basis for sample data collection with spouses of police.Design/methodology/approachFor over five decades, researchers have examined the construct of WFC, a phenomenon that refers to the impact of work-related issues on the family of the worker. Despite the fact that policing is a high-stress profession, now under considerable scrutiny and increasing public pressure, much less is known about WFC in police families and the perceptions of spouses and/or partners of police officers regarding WFC. The methodology for developing this scale follows that recommended by psychometricians in the construction of reliable and valid scales for use in both descriptive and predictive research.FindingsThe data reported were generated from an initial content validity study relying on 14 subject matter experts with backgrounds in policing, police research and/or psychometrics and approximately 20 spouses/partners (significant others of police officers). The findings provide preliminary evidence for six potential dimensions of WFC totaling 34 items.Originality/valueWhile some researchers have assessed the extent to which certain work-related factors impact police officers' family members, none have tapped additional domain-specific items for police while also surveying spouses and/or partners of officers.

Marital quality, gender, and later-life depressive symptom trajectories

ABSTRACT We analyze six waves of data (2006–2016) from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 4,342) to examine how marital quality is associated with depressive symptom trajectories among a group of continuously married older adults. Results show gender parity in how own perceptions of positive and negative dimensions of marital quality are related to depressive symptom trajectories. In addition, spousal perceptions of negative marital quality are positively associated with growth in depressive symptomatology regardless of gender. Spousal perceptions of positive marital quality, however, are associated with lower depressive symptoms only for women.

A Model of Deployment Readiness among Military Spouses: The Role of Mental Health and Deployment-Related Personal Growth

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine deployment-related risks, resources, and mediators contributing to military spouse perception of readiness for future service member deployments. We used data from 5,748 spouses and service members with two to five years of service (90% female spouses, M age = 27.54), all having experienced at least one deployment. The impact of deployment risks (number of prior deployments, combat exposure, deployment injury) and resources (formal and informal support, communication during the last deployment) were analyzed within a path modeling framework. Mediators of these relations were investigated, including service member and spouse mental health and spouse deployment-related personal growth. We found a well-fitting model suggesting a combination of direct and indirect effects on spouse perception of deployment readiness. Findings indicated that service member combat and injury negatively impacted spouse perception of deployment readiness through detriments to service member and spouse mental health. However, informal support and deployment communication were positively related to mental health for both partners, leading to improved spouse-perceived deployment readiness. Additionally, all resources contributed to spouses’ personal growth, a relatively strong mechanism for spouse-perceived deployment readiness. These findings suggest application through promotion of resources or by directly targeting mediating mechanisms to offset deployment risk.

Marital interaction quality over the transition to parenthood: The role of parents' perceptions of spouses' parenting.

Drawing from the concept of family systems theory, the present study examined how partners' marital hostility and net positive affect observed in prenatal couple interactions forecast their perceptions of each other's parenting 8 months later, and in turn, how these perceptions forecast their subsequent hostility and net positive affect in couple interactions 24 months after childbirth. Data were obtained from a longitudinal study of 124 families in central Texas over their first 2 years of parenthood. Each parent's perceptions of their spouse's parenting were coded from a couple interaction task when infants were 8 months old, and couple interaction qualities were coded from marital interaction tasks when the mothers were pregnant and 24 months after childbirth. Parents' more positive perceptions of their spouse's parenting at 8 months were predicted by greater couple interaction net positive affect and by less couple interaction hostility before childbirth. Greater couple interaction hostility at 24 months after childbirth was predicted indirectly by greater couple hostility before childbirth through mothers' (but not fathers') less positive perceptions of their spouses' parenting. Greater couple net positive affect before childbirth was associated with greater couple net positive affect 2 years later, controlling for parents' perceptions, and fathers' (but not mothers') more positive perceptions were associated with greater couple net positive affect at 24 months. This study should help researchers further understand the role of parents' attitudes toward each other's parenting in couple interaction qualities during the transition to parenthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of chronic pain on patients and spouses: Consequences on occupational status, distribution of household chores and care-giving burden.

Informal care-giving by spouses has become frequent in chronic pain settings. However, the impact of pain on occupational, functional and health outcomes in spouses has not been systematically investigated. The goal of the present study was to examine the impact of pain on both patient and spousal outcomes. In the present study, the impact of chronic pain on 114 heterosexual dyads was explored (patients: 59% females, average age=57.81years, SD=11.85; spouses: 41% females, average age=57.32years, SD=12.15). Overall, both patients and spouses reported important consequences of pain on outcomes, including occupational status distribution of household chores and marital satisfaction). Almost 52% of spouses indicated a high-to-severe burden. A multivariate model with spouse and patient factors accounted for 37.8% of the variance of this burden. In the model, patient disability (β=0.36, p=.002), spouses' change in occupational status (β=0.26, p=.002) and spousal perception of marital adjustment (β=-0.36, p<.001) were uniquely associated with burden. The results indicate that the impact of chronic pain should be evaluated both for patients and spouses and point to patient and spouse factors that might contribute to spousal burden, which might help guide family interventions in a more effective manner. Research has shown that chronic pain poses a significant burden on individuals, which increases their reliance on others for assistance. However, the burden of informal care-giving assumed by spouses of patients with chronic pain has not been systematically investigated. This study offers new insights into the impact of chronic pain on patients and their spouses, which might provide empirical foundation for the development of new avenues for intervention aimed at promoting adjustment in patients with chronic pain and spouses who act as informal caregivers.

A Dyadic Analysis of Emotion Regulation as a Moderator of Associations Between Marital Conflict and Marital Satisfaction Among First-married and Remarried Couples

We examined emotion regulation strategies as moderators of marital conflict and marital satisfaction between first-married and remarried couples. Remarried couples with a stepchild ( n = 108) and first marriage couples ( n = 111) with a child completed online surveys. Perceptions of both spouses were analyzed using actor–partner interdependence modeling. Although remarried spouses reported more marital conflict and lower marital satisfaction than first marriage spouses, emotion regulation strategies did not moderate the association between marital conflict and marital satisfaction differently for first-married and remarried couples. Expressive suppression exacerbated the negative association between marital conflict and marital satisfaction for men, and cognitive reappraisal attenuated the negative association for women. There was one partner effect; husbands’ greater cognitive reappraisal buffered the negative association between husbands’ marital conflict and wives’ marital satisfaction. Marriage order was less important than gender in how emotion regulation moderated the associations among marital conflict and marital satisfaction.

Диадические копинг-стратегии супругов как фактор латентных дисфункциональных отношений в семье: опыт эмпирического исследования в условиях пандемии

Objective. Identification of the nature of the relationship between the dyadic coping strategies of spouses and their subjective perception of the characteristics of changes in family relations during the period of forced self-isolation, due to the threat of the spread of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19. Background. The increase in the number of divorces in countries that have overcome the pandemic of COVID-19 coronavirus infection leads to the actualization of the problem of providing effective psychological assistance to families in conditions of forced self-isolation. The development of such measures should be based on evidence-based information about the factors that cause the strengthening or, on the contrary, the destruction of family relations in non-standard situations of family life. Study design. The study was conducted from April 15 to May 10, 2020 using an online psychological survey. At the beginning of the study, the period of self-isolation was two weeks. The study was carried out in two stages: 1) a survey of family members about their subjective perception of changes that occurred in interpersonal relations with the spouse during the period of self-isolation (online questionnaire); 2) the study of the relationship between indicators of dyadic coping strategies and the subjective perception of inter-marital relations. To measure the dyadic coping strategies of the spouses, proven valid and reliable methods were used. Participants. At the first stage of the study, 674 people were interviewed, of which 503 were women aged 24 to 43 years, and 171 were men from 27 to 47 years old. At the second stage, those respondents who noted an improvement or deterioration in relations in their family were selected from the first sample. As a result of online interviewing, two samples were generated for the second stage of the study, equalized by the number of married couples: the first sample included 34 married couples, who, according to a preliminary survey, noted a deterioration in family relations (average age of men — 36,7; women — 34,4). In the second, there were also 34 married couples who noted positive changes in relations with each other (average age of men — 38,1; women — 33,2). Measurements. The study used comparative analyzes with the calculation of the χ2 criterion, Student t-test, Spearman correlation coefficient. For data processing, SPSS 22.0 programs were used. Results. As a result of the research, it was revealed that there are reliable relationships between the subjective perception of spouses of the features of relationships in the family and their chosen strategies of coping behavior in non-standard and difficult life situations. Conclusions. Dyadic coping strategies of spouses are one of the dominant factors of the nature and features of inter-marital relations, which makes it necessary to take them into account in the construction of programs for providing psychological assistance to the family in non-standard conditions of its life.

Adult attachment and spousal reactions to military deployment separations and reunions

AbstractWe explored adult attachment and spousal perceptions of intrapersonal and relationship functioning during military deployments. In Study 1, spouses of military members experiencing a separation were assessed, and in Study Two, spouses of military members experiencing a reunion were assessed. Study 3 entailed a large‐scale survey of relationship perceptions of spouses of military members. In Studies One and Two, attachment dimensions were related to perceptions of intrapersonal and relationship functioning during the separation and reunion, with associations moderated by days separated/reunited. In Study 3, attachment dimensions were related to relationship perceptions, with associations moderated by deployment stages. This research not only contributes to the knowledge of attachment processes in military contexts but also has the potential to inform policies and services supporting military families.

Soldiers’ perceptions of military spouses’ career experiences

ABSTRACTThe current study provided an exploratory qualitative examination of the issues surrounding career progression for military spouses from the perspective of the soldier. Utilizing family systems theory and spillover theory we explored the soldier’s perceptions of the impact that the military lifestyle has on a military spouse’s opportunities for employment and advancement within their work. Data from 50 soldiers (90% enlisted; 90% male; 59% White) whose spouses were employed as civilians were collected during 11 focus groups. We conducted an inductive analysis on transcripts of the focus groups to guide the discovery of themes. Three major themes surrounding military personnel and their spouses’ employment progression emerged: soldiers’ perceptions that (1) the military can negatively influence the spouses’ career progression through frequent and/or unpredictable relocations, physical distance, and the mentality that military comes first; (2) there are benefits associated with spouse employment; and (3) the spouses’ career type impacts the success of their career. Notably, soldiers view their spouses’ careers as important, and acknowledge that the military way of life can retard spouse career progression, depending upon the type of job or career the spouse holds. Soldiers suggest less frequent relocations and consideration of spouses’ jobs would improve spouse career progression and improve solider and family well-being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Honey, Do I Look Fat? Perceptions of Spouses' Weight and Weight Concerns Predict Marital Relationship Quality.

The majority of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and yet Western ideals of beauty mean that low body fat composition is a component of physical attractiveness. In turn, perceived discrepancies between actual and ideal body shape and weight mean that many adults experience weight concerns-- and they also may be dissatisfied with their spouse's weight. This study examined whether weight concerns were linked to romantic relationship quality, an important domain of adult development. Specifically, we applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to test how wives' and husbands' weight concerns and perceptions of their spouses' overweight contributed to their own and their spouse's reports of marital satisfaction and conflict over time. The sample was 197 heterosexual married couples (M age = 40.85 and 42.81 years for wives and husbands, respectively; M length of marriage = 18.6 years at Time 1) with children, who participated in a short-term longitudinal study of family relationships and adolescent development. Two-way interactions between partner perceptions of spouses' weight and gender indicated that husbands' perceptions that their wives were overweight predicted decreases in wives' marital satisfaction and increases in wives' reports of marital conflict across one year. In contrast, wives' perceptions of husbands' weight were not associated with changes in husbands' marital satisfaction or conflict. A two-way interaction between actor and partner weight concerns indicated that individuals reported more marital conflict when there was a discrepancy between their own and their spouse's weight concerns. Finally, a two-way interaction between actor and partner perceptions of spouse's weight indicated that, for individuals whose spouses rated them as below ideal weight, their perceptions of the spouse's overweight predicted their own lower marital satisfaction. Findings suggest that concerns about one's own and one's spouse's weight have negative ramifications for marital relationships.

An intra-household analysis of farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation to climate change impacts: empirical evidence from drought prone zones of Bangladesh

The agricultural sector is highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in drought-prone environments. An understanding of perceptions, adaptation strategies, and their determinants including a gender analysis can benefit vulnerable farmers and policy makers. Using a survey of 360 farming household heads and their spouses, this study identified the intra-household perceptions and their determinants, the major strategies adopted by the farmers to adapt to climate change, and the factors that affect their adaptation decision and choice of strategies including the role of intra-household decision making in a drought prone environment of Bangladesh. The adaptation methods identified include short-duration and drought-tolerant rice varieties, supplementary irrigation for crop production, non-rice winter and horticultural crops, and improved channels for irrigation and water harvesting. Discrete choice model results indicate that age, household size, membership in any organization, access to credit, drought severity, amount of cultivated land, and agricultural subsidy significantly influence farmers’ adaptation decision and choices. Results reveal that climate change perceptions of husbands and spouses within the same households differ significantly and intra-household decision making plays a significant role in adaptation decision and selection of alternative adaptation strategies. The results would improve our understanding of farms and farming households and their climate change perceptions and adaptation choices by location and gender, thereby enabling us to outline better strategies to adapt to the changing climate.