The explanatory role of psychological distress in the link between role blurring and relationship satisfaction: A dyadic study

Abstract

Role blurring has been associated with negative outcomes, such as anxiety and stress. Paulin et al.'s study found that role blurring is linked to lower relationship satisfaction through higher psychological distress. However, this link has not been explored from a dyadic perspective, neglecting the interrelation between partners in a couple. The current study aimed to address this limitation by examining the explanatory role of psychological distress in the link between role blurring and relationship satisfaction from a dyadic perspective. The sample comprised 382 Canadian participants (191 couples) over 18 years old who answered online questionnaires through the SurveyMonkey platform. The results showed that women's life–work role blurring is negatively associated with their own and their partner's relationship satisfaction through their own more significant psychological distress. These findings underscore the importance of researchers further investigating life–work role blurring in the future from a dyadic perspective.