Neural synchronization predicts marital satisfaction.

Marital attachment plays an important role in maintaining intimate personal relationships and sustaining psychological well-being. Mate-selection theories suggest that people are more likely to marry someone with a similar personality and social status, yet evidence for the association between personality-based couple similarity measures and marital satisfaction has been inconsistent. A more direct and useful approach for understanding fundamental processes underlying marital satisfaction is to probe similarity of dynamic brain responses to maritally and socially relevant communicative cues, which may better reflect how married couples process information in real time and make sense of their mates and themselves. Here, we investigate shared neural representations based on intersubject synchronization (ISS) of brain responses during free viewing of marital life-related, and nonmarital, object-related movies. Compared to randomly selected pairs of couples, married couples showed significantly higher levels of ISS during viewing of marital movies and ISS between married couples predicted higher levels of marital satisfaction. ISS in the default mode network emerged as a strong predictor of marital satisfaction and canonical correlation analysis revealed a specific relation between ISS in this network and shared communication and egalitarian components of martial satisfaction. Our findings demonstrate that brain similarities that reflect real-time mental responses to subjective perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about interpersonal and social interactions are strong predictors of marital satisfaction, reflecting shared values and beliefs. Our study advances foundational knowledge of the neurobiological basis of human pair bonding.

The effectiveness of couple-based interventions on the marital outcomes of women with genital and breast cancer and their partners: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer and genital cancer are known as cancers that affect people's relationships with their partners. Women with such cancers are emotionally vulnerable and need more support from their partners. The present systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of couple-based interventions on the marital outcomes of patients with these cancers and their intimate partners. METHODS: To perform this systematic review, Google Scholar and databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, SID (Scientific Information Database), and Magiran were searched systematically. The reviewed studies included randomized controlled trials and quasiexperimental studies in which the intervention group, couple-based interventions, and the control group received routine care, general education or no intervention for cancer treatment. In this study, the included participants were patients with breast cancer or genital cancer and their intimate partners. The primary outcomes considered in this study included patients' marital adjustment, patients' marital satisfaction, patients' marital intimacy, and patients' marital relationships. The secondary outcomes were partners' marital adjustment, partners' marital satisfaction, partners' marital intimacy, and partners' marital relationships. A meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager v. 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane Collaboration, 2014; Copenhagen, Denmark). The intervention impacts on continuous outcomes were measured using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence interval because of the use of various scales to evaluate the outcomes. The quality of evidence presented in the included studies was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. In the subgroup analysis, the studied outcomes were divided into two parts (theory-based and non-theory-based) in terms of the theoretical context of couple-based interventions. RESULTS: From a total of 138 retrieved studies, 14 trials were eligible for inclusion in the study. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the patient's marital satisfaction increased significantly with couple-based interventions (SMD 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.85; 7 trials, 341 patients, very low certainty) compared to the control group, but the evidence was uncertain. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in the partner's marital satisfaction, the patient's and partner's marital adjustment, and the patient's and partner's marital intimacy. Additionally, the results of the subgroup analysis showed that the couple-based interventions significantly increased the patient's marital adjustment (SMD 1.96, 95% CI 0.87 to 3.06; 4 trials, 355 patients, very low certainty), the partner's marital adjustment (SMD 0.53, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.86; 4 trials, 347 partners, very low certainty), the patient's marital satisfaction (SMD 0.89, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.43; 2 trials, 123 patients, very low certainty), and the partner's marital satisfaction (SMD 0.57, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.94; 2 trials, 123 partners, very low certainty) compared to the control group in theory-based studies. In. However, in non-theory-based studies, the results of the meta-analysis revealed no significant differences between the intervention and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated the impact of couple-based interventions on the marital outcomes of patients with breast and genital cancers. Because of the very low confidence in the evidence, high-quality randomized trials with a sufficient sample size should be conducted considering the proper theoretical context.

Effect of sexual health education on sexual function and satisfaction of menopausal migrant women: an application of the theory of planned behavior.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of an intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on sexual function and satisfaction of migrant women during menopause in Iran. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 88 migrant and menopausal women in Iran. Sampling was performed using the multistage methods in four health care centers. The educational program based on the theory of planned behavior was held in 4 sessions of 90 min for 4 weeks in the intervention group. The final evaluation of the intervention was performed immediately, and the follow-up stage (3 months after the intervention) by completing questionnaires in two groups. The data was analyzed with SPSS 20 software with statistical tests of mean and standard deviation, Manwitney, Frideman, Generalized Estimating Equations. RESULTS: The results showed that after the intervention, the mean score of sexual function in the intervention group increased from 16.53 ± 2.68 before to 17.52 ± 2.90 immediately and 17.38 ± 2.81 in follow up stage (p < 0.05). But in the control group, this score was not statistically significant during the study stages (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the intervention based on the theory of planned behavior is effective in sexual function and satisfaction with the married life of migrant women during menopause. but to change the sexual function, studies with a longer duration and also the use of other educational models are suggested.

Investigating the impact of couple counseling based on the CHARMS model on sexual quality of life and marital satisfaction of wives of men suffering from myocardial infarction: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases are a common chronic illness in adults, with implications for health and psychological well-being. These implications not only affect the patients themselves but also impact family members, especially the spouses of patients. One significant issue and consequence of this disease is its impact on marital relationships and sexual satisfaction, which can also influence other dimensions of quality of life. The aim of the current study is to determine the effect of couple counseling based on the CHARMS model on sexual quality of life and marital satisfaction of wives of men suffering from myocardial infarction. METHOD: This study is a clinical randomized controlled trial. Sampling will be done on a convenience basis. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: control (50 couples) and intervention (50 couples). Couples in 6 groups of 8 members each will attend counseling sessions based con the CHARMS model, with sessions held weekly and lasting for 60 min. Data collection tools will include Demographic information questionnaire, Women's Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire, Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, Sexual Compatibility Questionnaire and Perceived Quality of Relationship Dimensions Questionnaire, which will be completed by women in both groups before and after the intervention. Data will be analyzed using appropriate statistical tests and SPSS software. DISCUSSION: This trial will evaluate whether a counseling intervention based on the CHARMS model can enhance sexual quality of life and marital satisfaction of wives of men with myocardial infarction in Urmia city. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT code: IRCT20240218061046N1.

Cardiovascular diseases are a common chronic illness in adults, with implications for health and psychological well-being. One significant issue and consequence of this disease is its impact on marital relationships and sexual satisfaction, which can also influence other dimensions of quality of life.This trial will evaluate whether a counseling intervention based on the CHARMS model can enhance sexual quality of life and marital satisfaction of wives of men with myocardial infarction in Urmia city. A CHARMS-based intervention with 4 principles addresses the sexual and marital relationship empowerment of couples following a severe heart attack. These principles include: (1) Counseling and providing information on the impact of cardiovascular diseases on sexual desires. (2) Counseling and providing information on a healthy sexual life and communication skills strategies with the sexual partner. (3) Counseling on uncovering false beliefs and misconceptions regarding relationship risks and fears. (4) Providing tips and solutions for resuming sexual relations after a severe heart event, addressing sexual and interpersonal challenges. This intervention sets patients' expectations of sexual relationships based on a final focus on "sexual intimacy" as the ultimate goal of therapy.This study is a clinical randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: control (50 couples) and intervention (50 couples). Couples in 6 groups of 8 members each will attend counseling sessions based con the CHARMS model, with sessions held weekly and lasting for 60 min.

Marital Quality-A Neglected Player in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Marital quality (MQ) is a psychosocial factor that has been neglected in cardiovascular prevention guidelines, although its association with cardiovascular diseases has been identified in several studies. Therefore, we aim to investigate how MQ either in positive or negative dimensions affect different cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. RECENT FINDINGS: We systematically searched different databases in September 2023 for longitudinal studies conducted to assess the contribution of MQ to well-established cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Two independent researchers screened studies and carried out data extraction and quality assessment of included ones. From 12,175 potential studies screened, 40 were included. The presence of significant heterogeneity in methodology, follow-up, and subsequent effect estimates made it unfeasible to do a meta-analysis. Despite the variation, most studies found a significant association of negative MQ measures with physical inactivity (2/2), high levels of smoking (4/5) and alcohol (3/3) use, increased metabolic syndrome risk (3/3), elevated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and poor T2DM management (3/6), elevated cardiovascular disease risk and progression (9/11), increased body weight and obesity risk (2/3), elevated blood pressure and hypertension risk (7/8). Positive MQ measures were mainly associated with improvement in blood pressure control (2/2), reduced T2DM risk and its good management (1/1), reduced body weight and obesity risk (2/2), and increased survival in cardiovascular diseases (4/4). Based on current evidence, MQ seems to play a crucial role in developing established cardiovascular risk factors and diseases and is worth considering in preventive strategies.

Predictors of anxiety among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their partners: The mediating role of marital satisfaction.

AIMS: This study aims to examine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and identify predictors of anxiety among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their partners and explore the mediating role of marital satisfaction between maternal and paternal anxiety. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, from July 2021 to May 2022. METHODS: A total of 306 dyads of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their partners completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test and the socio-demographic and clinical data sheet. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 32.4% and 36.6% in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their partners, respectively. The predictors of maternal anxiety were paternal anxiety, maternal marital satisfaction, maternal monthly salary, fasting glucose value and 1-h glucose value. By contrast, the predictors of paternal anxiety were maternal anxiety, paternal marital satisfaction and paternal monthly salary. Moreover, the relationship between maternal and paternal anxiety was mediated by marital satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The anxiety symptoms of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their partners influence each other, and this relationship was mediated by marital satisfaction. Every couple should be screened for anxiety symptoms and treated as a team rather than focusing solely on the pregnant woman.

Marital satisfaction in covenant versus standard marriages: Is there a difference?

After the rapid increase of the American divorce rate in the late 20th century, one of the most conspicuous efforts of the marriage movement in the 1990s that was used to increase marital stability was the legislation of the covenant marriage license, a more restricted marriage license issued in three different states of the U.S. To investigate the marital life of newlywed covenant versus standard couples, a large-scale 5-year couple study was conducted between 1998 and 2003 in Louisiana. The present study uses this large-sample, multiple-wave, multiple-group dyadic dataset to examine differences in co-development and divorce rates in 297 covenant and 380 standard mixed-sex couples using a multiple group growth curve modeling and survival analysis. We examined differences in marital trajectories between covenant and standard couples as well as between husbands and wives in each marital group. The results show (1) that the couples in both groups experienced, on average, declines in marital satisfaction, and such a decline was slower in covenant husbands than their wives as well as those in standard marriages, and (2) that co-development in marital satisfaction was more prominent in standard marriages than in covenant marriages, meaning standard couple's marital satisfaction declined at a more similar rate than that of covenant couples. We provide possible explanations and discuss practical implications.

Family resources, resilience beliefs, and parental adaptation: A moderated mediation analysis.

Despite the extensive body of evidence documenting how pandemic-related stressors (e.g., disruptions in daily routine) impact individuals' mental health, research examining family mechanisms through which stressors impact parental stress remains insufficient. The present study aims to address this gap by exploring a moderated mediation model that predicts parental stress resulting from the accumulation of pandemic-related stressors. Specifically, we hypothesized a second-stage moderated mediation model in which family resilience beliefs moderated the second-stage indirect paths through family relationships and marital satisfaction, resulting in conditional indirect effects. Study data were collected from American parents (n = 1386). There was no evidence that family relationships and marital satisfaction mediated the association between stressor pile-up and parent stress. In addition, family resilience beliefs did not significantly impact how marital satisfaction or family relationships affect parental stress. However, marital satisfaction mediated the relationship between stressor pile-up and parental stress across all levels of family resilience beliefs. The findings of this study carry significant implications for post-pandemic family interventions, suggesting the incorporation of resilience belief training and stress management strategies to improve intrafamilial communication.

Associations between dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, and prenatal depression symptoms among couples with gestational diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Coping with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) presents significant challenges for pregnant women and their partners, which may result in elevated prenatal depression symptoms. However, research has predominantly centred on pregnant women with GDM, with little involvement of their partners. To understand their dyadic interactions, it is imperative to involve GDM couples in the study. This study aims to examine the interplay between dyadic coping and prenatal depression symptoms among GDM couples and to explore the possible mediating role of marital satisfaction. DESIGN/METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China. A total of 400 couples completed the Dyadic Coping Inventory, Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and sociodemographic data sheet. The actor-partner interdependence mediation model was utilised for dyadic data analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 13.0% of pregnant women with GDM and 8.3% of partners experienced elevated prenatal depression symptoms. Dyadic coping was directly or indirectly related to their own and partners' prenatal depression symptoms in GDM couples, with marital satisfaction acting as a mediator. Specifically, positive dyadic coping was associated with lower prenatal depression symptoms, while negative dyadic coping exhibited an opposite relationship. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of elevated prenatal depression symptoms was high in GDM couples. It is important to view pregnant women with GDM and their partners as a dyad of a transactional system in prenatal clinical care. Couple-centred interventions targeting to enhance positive dyadic coping and mitigate negative dyadic coping might be beneficial to prevent and alleviate prenatal depression symptoms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and spousal relationships in natural disaster victims: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after natural disaster can have a detrimental effect on marital relationships, which may be through parenting-related factor. AIMS: The study aimed to examine the mechanism underlying the long-term effects of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting, and its differences between men and women following the Super Typhoon Lekima. METHODS: Participants were 465 married victims with children. They reported their PTSD, coparenting, and marital satisfaction at three and fifteen months after the tropical cyclone. RESULTS: The results showed that for women, only higher negative cognitive and emotional alterations (NCEA) symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction through conflict coparenting. For men, higher intrusion, NCEA, and hyperarousal symptoms were associated with marital satisfaction through different coparenting. To be specific, for men, higher intrusion symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less reprimand coparenting; higher NCEA symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less integrity coparenting, and associated with higher marital satisfaction via less conflict coparenting; higher hyperarousal symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via more conflict coparenting. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the long-term effect of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting mainly showed for men.

Joint Leisure Activities of Older Vietnamese Married Couples.

Leisure activities enjoyed by older married couples play an important part in creating more meaningful married lives. The study focuses on the prevalence of joint leisure activities by older couples, the factors influencing older adults' engagement in leisure activities together, and the relationship between joint participation in leisure activities and marital satisfaction of older couples. The quantitative sample included 414 married respondents aged 55 years and above from different parts of Vietnam. The leisure activities analyzed in the paper include vacation/travel, watching movies, music, karaoke singing outside the house, walking around the house, attending cultural events and festivals, watching TV, drinking tea, and doing exercise. The study results showed that the level of joint engagement in leisure activities in places near home with less cost was higher than those engaged in elsewhere. Couples with better living standards, higher education, better health, and who lived in urban areas more actively participated in leisure activities far from home. Vietnamese couples who engage in more leisure activities together had a higher level of overall satisfaction with their marriage, and greater satisfaction in several dimensions of their marital relationship than those who did not participate in leisure activities with their partners.

Marital satisfaction, partner communication, and illness acceptance among couples coping with breast cancer: A dyadic approach.

OBJECTIVE: Associations between marital satisfaction and illness acceptance are mediated by different factors. This study examines whether partner communication mediates relationships between marital satisfaction and illness acceptance among couples coping with breast cancer within a dyadic approach. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-six couples were examined: 136 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer and their 136 spouses without a history of cancer. Questionnaires measuring marital satisfaction, partner communication, and illness acceptance were used. SEM analysis was applied to examine mediation effects. RESULTS: For the patients, marital satisfaction was positively associated with supportive self-communication, supportive partner communication, and illness acceptance. For the spouses, marital satisfaction was positively correlated with supportive self-communication and supportive partner communication, yet, it was negatively correlated with deprecating communication of both self and partner. The associations between marital satisfaction and illness acceptance were mainly mediated by supportive communication (self and partner). CONCLUSIONS: An examination of partner communication within a dyad is crucial for understanding relationships between marital satisfaction and illness acceptance in breast cancer patients. These relationships predominantly depend on the supportive communication of cognitive and emotional information between the spouses.

The effect of perceived social support on postpartum stress: the mediating roles of marital satisfaction and maternal postnatal attachment.

BACKGROUND: Multiple factors may be responsible for the development of postpartum stress, including perceived social support, marital satisfaction, and maternal postnatal attachment. However, the underlying mediation mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the complex relationships between perceived social support and postpartum stress among Chinese women. METHODS: A convenience sample comprising 406 postpartum women was recruited from six hospitals in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China. The participants completed general survey questionnaires and were evaluated using the Maternal Postpartum Stress Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale, and the Marital Satisfaction Scale. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between postpartum stress and the various influencing factors by performing a multiple linear regression analysis. The potential mediating roles of marital satisfaction and maternal and infant attachment in the association between perceived social support and postpartum stress were explored by performing a mediation analysis. RESULTS: According to the multivariate regression analysis, perceived social support, marital satisfaction, and maternal postnatal attachment contributed to postpartum stress levels (P < 0.05). The mediation analysis revealed that marital satisfaction and maternal postnatal attachment played parallel mediating roles in the association between perceived social support and postpartum stress, and the mediating effect of marital satisfaction was - 0.1125 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.1784 to -0.0520), accounting for 33.20% of the total effect, and the mediating effect of maternal postnatal attachment was - 0.0847 (95% CI: -0.1304 to -0.0438), accounting for 25.00% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that perceived social support could influence postpartum stress not only through direct effect (41.80% of the total effect), but also through the indirect effect (mediation effect) of marital satisfaction and maternal postnatal attachment (58.20% of the total effect), suggesting that improving postpartum women's social support, enhancing maternal and infant attachment, and improving their marital satisfaction could help lower postpartum stress.

Estimation of global rating changes in quality of life and marital satisfaction among reproductive age women in Iran and Afghanistan before and after COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life and marital satisfaction are important components of reproductive-age women's health. This study aimed to compare the quality of life and marital satisfaction in women of reproductive age in Iran and Afghanistan before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on a sample of Iranian and Afghan women of reproductive age. To collect the data, the 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12) and the Enrich marital satisfaction scale were used to assess the quality of life and marital satisfaction, respectively. In addition, the Global Rating of Change (GRC) was used in order to evaluate the quality of life and marital satisfaction compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were evaluated descriptively through statistics including sing t-test, and chi-square, Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between outcome variables and independent variables. RESULTS: In all 599 reproductive-age women (300 Iranian, and 299 Afghan) were studied. After adjusting for demographic variables, no significant difference was observed between the two groups for the physical component (P = 0.05) and mental component summary scores of quality of life (P = 0.166) as measured by the SF-12. The majority of Iranian women reported that their quality of life was worsened compared to before the pandemic (57.2%), while in the Afghan group, a higher percentage declared that it was unchanged (58.9%). The mental component of quality of life had no significant relationship with any of the independent variables including nationality. In contrast, the physical component quality of life had a significant relationship with nationality (P = 0.01). Iranian women had more marital satisfaction than Afghan women (P<0.001) and marital satisfaction had a significant relationship with nationality (P<0.001). Most women in both groups (70% of Iranian and 60% of Afghan women) declared that their marital satisfaction unchanged compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the quality of life of Iranian and Afghan women of reproductive age was almost the same before and after the pandemic. However, Iranians scored lower on the mental component summary and Afghans reported lower scores on the physical component summary. Marital satisfaction of Afghan women was much lower than that of Iranian women. The findings suggest the need for serious attention by health care authorities. Providing a supportive environment might be considered a primary step towards a better quality of life for these populations.

The association between personality, relationship satisfaction, and psychopathology in a three-wave, longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to better understand the role of personality as it relates to psychopathology, with satisfaction as a mediating variable. BACKGROUND: Personality is an important determinant of many life outcomes including relationship satisfaction and psychopathology. Previous work has demonstrated that broad domains of normal personality have low-to-moderate associations with various forms of psychopathology. Research has primarily focused on mechanisms that might explain how common personality traits put one at risk for common forms of psychopathology; this work builds upon existing work in examining relationship satisfaction as one possible mechanism. No study to date has examined whether relationship satisfaction mediates the connection between personality and psychopathology. METHOD: We utilized multilevel modeling in a longitudinal sample of 100 newlywed couples to test the hypothesis that major domains of personality (positive temperament, negative temperament, disinhibition) have a significant effect on relationship satisfaction which, in turn, is significantly associated with internalizing and externalizing forms of psychopathology. RESULTS: We found no evidence for the mediating role of relationship satisfaction; however, in exploratory analyses, we did find evidence for both between-person and within-person effects of personality on psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the role of personality as an important factor in consideration of dyadic processes, though not entirely deterministic for downstream functioning. Thus, separate factors in addition to personality may be worth examining in consideration of how low relationship satisfaction may be associated with psychopathology.

Social anhedonia, communication, and marital satisfaction in newlywed couples.

OBJECTIVE: Social anhedonia is associated with disinterest in social interactions and poor relationship functioning, yet little is known about the specific mechanisms underlying associations between social anhedonia and romantic relationship behaviors and satisfaction. We examined the links between social anhedonia, perceptions of conflict communication patterns, and marital satisfaction. METHOD: The current research examined the role of social anhedonia on marital quality and functioning longitudinally across a year in a sample of 100 newlywed couples using an actor-partner interdependence framework. RESULTS: Social anhedonia was negatively associated with own and partner's marital satisfaction. It was also negatively associated with constructive communication and positively associated with destructive communication. Furthermore, cross-sectional mediation analyses showed that communication patterns mediated the social anhedonia-satisfaction link. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings suggest that social anhedonia is likely to lead to lower marital satisfaction, partly through its effect on communication between partners.

Unmet needs and depression among spousal caregivers: the mediating role of marital satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research has identified that unmet needs are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in older adults. However, the unmet needs of older adults' spousal caregivers are unknown. The present study examined the association between unmet needs and depression among spousal caregivers, and whether marital satisfaction mediated this association. METHODS: We included 1,856 participants who provided care to their spouses with difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. Unmet needs of spousal caregivers were assessed as the total number of ADL/IADL tasks with which respondents had unmet needs. Path models were conducted to evaluate the associations between unmet needs, marital satisfaction, and depression. Subgroup analyses by sex were conducted to examine the sex differences regarding the associations. RESULTS: Spousal caregivers with more unmet ADL/IADL needs reported higher levels of depression (p < 0.001). Additionally, for wife caregivers, unmet ADL/IADL needs were associated with lower marital satisfaction, and lower marital satisfaction was associated with higher degrees of depression, indicating that marital satisfaction partially mediated the association between unmet needs and depression (p < 0.01). However, marital satisfaction did not mediate the association between unmet needs and depression among husband caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The mediating effect of marital satisfaction on the association between unmet needs and depression only existed in wife caregivers. Social services should be provided to meet the needs of caregivers with ADL/IADL difficulties, and interventions should be implemented to promote the marital satisfaction of wife caregivers.

Fathering styles in a traditional culture and its association with marital relationship: A latent profile analysis with a nationally representative sample.

This study had two main objectives. The first goal was to examine fathers' parenting styles in a society with traditional patriarchal values. The second goal was to understand the extent to which marital relationship variables (i.e., marital satisfaction and spousal support) are related with the identified fathering profiles. The theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the "parenting styles" literature that form the foundation of the research on parent-child dynamics are still mainly based on data collected only from mothers. This weakness of the literature on fathering typologies is further accompanied by the scarcity of data on fathers' parenting practices from non-Western contexts. To achieve the study aims, a latent profile analysis based on warmth and control dimensions of parenting was performed using a nationally representative sample of 1070 urban fathers in Turkey. Using scores on six parenting behavior variables (i.e., warmth, punishment, inductive reasoning, positive parenting, discipline and teaching responsibilities, time and talking together), results revealed four fathering profiles: "authoritative" (30%), "average" (45%), "uninvolved" (16%), and "disciplining-distant" (8%). Furthermore, the results showed that the fathering profiles significantly differed from each other on the marital satisfaction and spousal support scores. Results highlight the importance of investigating fathering behaviors and their predictors in different cultures.

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

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

Marital satisfaction, parenting stress, and family alliance: Parental perspective taking as a moderator.

Research has shown that family alliance (FA), operationalized as the quality of mother-father-child triadic interactions, is important for child socioemotional development. However, few studies have investigated the predictors of FA, and there are few longitudinal studies available. Accordingly, this study first examined whether mothers' and fathers' marital satisfaction and parenting stress during infancy predicted FA five years later, when their children entered kindergarten. Second, the moderating role of both parents' perspective-taking capacity as a moderator of these longitudinal associations was examined. The study was conducted with 113 intact families (mother-father-child). Marital satisfaction, parenting stress, and perspective taking were reported by both parents and FA was assessed by observation. Contrary to expectations, neither parent's marital satisfaction or parenting stress was directly related to family alliance. However, significant moderating effects were found for both parents' perspective taking, such that higher paternal and maternal parenting stress predicted poorer FA only among parents with relatively lower perspective-taking capacities. These findings suggest that some aspects of the quality of family interactions when children enter school can be predicted by mothers' and fathers' personal dispositions assessed as early as five years prior.