Effects of Own and Partner Pain on Spousal Caregivers’ Marital Quality

Little is known about whether care recipients’ and their spousal caregivers’ own pain influence the marital quality perceived by caregivers. Considering that experiencing and witnessing pain may be related to marital distress, we hypothesized that care recipient and caregiver pain would be associated with caregivers’ greater increases in marital conflict over time. We focused on 264 spousal caregivers of older adults with chronic illnesses or disability from the 2015 and 2017 National Study of Caregiving. Sixty-nine percent of care recipients and 54% of caregivers in this study were bothered by pain at baseline. Findings revealed that caregiver (b = 0.25, p = .02) and care recipient pain (b = 0.34, p < .01) at baseline were both associated with caregivers’ higher marital conflict at follow-up. These findings suggest the importance of accounting for not only care recipients’ pain but also spousal caregivers’ own pain when examining caregivers’ marital quality.

Quality of Marital Relationship and Sexual Interaction in Couples With Sexual Dysfunction: An Exploratory Study From India

Background: Sexual dysfunction and marital intimacy and quality are found to have a reciprocal relationship. Examining this relationship in couples seeking help for sexual dysfunctions in the cultural context of India is worthwhile. Aim: This study aims to explore the nature of sexual functioning, sexual interaction, sexual communication, and marital intimacy and quality in couples with sexual dysfunction. Further, relationship between the above variables is also examined. Methods: A cross-sectional, single-group exploratory design was adopted. A sample of 155 married heterosexual individuals, with a clinical diagnosis of sexual dysfunction in either of the spouses, was included in the study. The tools used included MINI neuropsychiatric interview, Marital Quality Scale, Marital Intimacy Questionnaire, Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale, and Sexual Interaction Inventory. Results: Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men and hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women were the most common sexual dysfunctions. Majority of the sample were young adults. About 82% of the sample had moderate-to-severe levels of marital distress. Mood disorder was the most common psychiatric disorder reported in the sample. High levels of intimacy problems were seen with no significant gender differences in the overall marital quality or intimacy. Difficulty in the overall sexual interactions was found; however, higher levels of dissatisfaction with the frequency of sex and lower self-acceptance was reported by men compared to women. Significant interrelationships were found between marital quality and intimacy, sexual interaction, and sexual communication. Conclusions: Sexual dysfunctions and marital distress are closely related. Sexual interaction and sexual communication play a significant role in marital quality and intimacy.

The Effect of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy on Emotion Dysregulation in Couples

Background: Divorce rates have increased during the last decade, leading to a greater focus of marital scholars on the importance of understanding couple-maintaining strategies within marital life. Distresses in couples are attributable to difficulties controlling felt, experienced, and expressed emotions; thus, emotion dysregulation is a core stressor in couples with maladaptive responses. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) on outpatient couples to treat emotion dysregulation. Methods: We recruited 20 couples with marital distress in which partners presented emotion dysregulation. We offered the couples the opportunity to join a couple DBT group at their convenience and based on the immediate availability of treatment slots. We measured the treatment efficacy using psychometric tools (the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Dyadic Adjustment Ccale (DAS) at baseline and after DBT therapy. Results: Both male and female partners presented significant improvements in marital adjustment DAS and emotion regulation scores. Female partners showed significantly greater amplitude changes in both scales. Female partners showed significant improvement in most DERS subscales (except the GOALS subscale); on the other hand, male partners showed significant improvements in impulse, awareness, strategies, and clarity subscales. We found significant improvements in most DAS subscales in both sexes; only affectional expression remained unchanged before and after therapy. Conclusion: DBT for couples is an effective approach to treat emotion dysregulation.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS AMONG MARRIED COUPLES: AN OVERVIEW

This study aimed to analyse the effective communication skills among married couples for building and maintaining strong couple relationships. The results of the study have an important implication for couple communication includes theory and lays the foundation in their relationship toolbox. Most theoretical, explaining the degree of ambiguity in the models governing couples’ expectations for and self-disclosure performance responsibilities affects the behaviour change. These factors appear to have dominated the development of theory to facilitate efficient tasks, minimize bids for influence, enable partners to feel effective and respected. While the process of adjustment and adaptation entail continued negotiation of responsibilities, repeated demands, directives, and tension within the couple. Couple therapy reflects the outcome of reduced relationship distress and communication skills that affect individual psychopathology, such as depression and the shortcomings of psychological interventions for preventing marital distress. These efforts may lead to successful adjustment to prevent marital distress that produces short-term changes in behaviour and relationship satisfaction, but little evidence exists demonstrating a long-term prevention effect. The value of studying couple’s communication pattern by using principles from psychology, concern about the negative impact of marital conflict and strengthened in response to the demands imposed more comprehensive outcome measured. Therefore, conceptualizing and measuring quality rooted an important theory and interventions that prioritize couple communication skills as the key predictor of relationship satisfaction, while raising new questions about other factors that might predict strengthen or moderate their association. As results, these findings shows a supporting understanding about what interaction and transactional processes take place in couples that the interpersonal communications skills between couples can predict satisfaction of their marital life. KEYWORDS: Communication Skills, Couples, Relationships, Marital Therapy, Character

Marital Distress in Missionaries as Measured by the MMPI-2-RF Interpersonal Scales

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is a briefer revision of the MMPI-2. The archived MMPI-2 profiles of 214 evangelical missionaries were analyzed to explore the relationship among the MMPI-2-RF newly constructed interpersonal scales, the RC scales, and missionary distress. Missionary husbands and wives were placed into two groups based on marital types (conflicted and non-conflicted) and again into three groups based on presenting issues (marital, family, and non-family distress). The results lend support to the use of the MMPI-2-RF Family Problems ( FML), Interpersonal Passivity ( IPP), and Shyness ( SHY) interpersonal scales along with the RC4 scale as a basic screening instrument for post-selection, pre-deployment missionaries with marital distress. Consequently, the MMPI-2-RF may be able to inform us in new ways. Recommendations for counselors and missionary boards are discussed.

Efficacy of Communication Skills Training in Marital Disturbance

Background: Marital disturbance widely impact the quality of marriage in couples. Besides, the lack of communication skills among couples is considered as one of the most significant personal factors influencing marriage distress. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the impact of communication skills training on marital disturbance. Methods: In this interventional study, the target population was all couples residing in the marginal regions of Birjand City, in 2016. Sixty couples (N=120) were randomly selected and assigned into two groups of intervention (30 couples) and control (30 couples). The data collection instrument consisted of two sections of private information and the Pines couple burnout measure. Results: Educational intervention was conducted for the intervention group in six sessions of 120 minutes. The questionnaire was completed before and three months after the intervention, in both groups. Then, the obtained data were analyzed using the chi-squared test, independent t-test, and paired t-test, considering the significant level of 0.05, in SPSS V. 18. The Mean±SD age was 32.27±6.24 years and 34.85±5.74 years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Also, the Mean±SD marriage life of couples was 7.33±5.29 years and 9.57±5.73 years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Conclusion: The mean of marital disturbance modifications, marital distress, and physical and emotional loss significantly differed between the intervention and control groups (P<0.05). Communication skills training can significantly reduce marital distress and its dimensions, including physical, emotional, and mental retardation, in couples living in the suburb.