Journal of marital and family therapy最新文献

The current research explored the dyadic relationships between general psychological distress (GPD) and coparenting dimensions (cooperation, conflict, triangulation) through the mediation of couple satisfaction among parents with young children. The sample comprised 184 heterosexual couples (184 mothers, 184 fathers, age range from 25 to 57 years) married for 10 years on average. The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) and APIM Mediation Model analyses demonstrated significant relationships between mothers' and fathers' GPD and all three of their own coparenting dimensions (direct actor effects), also through their own couple satisfaction (indirect actor–actor effects). Additionally, mothers' GPD had direct effects on fathers' coparenting cooperation (partner effect). Fathers' GPD had significant indirect effects on all dimensions of mothers' coparenting through mothers' couple satisfaction (partner–actor effects), plus on mothers' coparenting triangulation through fathers' couple satisfaction (actor–partner effect). Findings were in line with Family System Theory and consistent with prior research. Clinical implications were discussed.

The study aimed to provide validity evidence and reliability of the Scale of Myths of Romantic Love (SMRL) in Peru among young and adult individuals. Focusing on how romantic love myths affect relationship satisfaction and their ties to interpersonal violence, sexism, and gender inequality, the methodology involved 308 participants, mainly females (75%), using the SMRL and Relationship Assessment Scale. Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis (BCFA) assessed the scale's structure and reliability, complemented by descriptive statistics and correlation analyses to examine the myths' impact on intimate relationships. Results showed the SMRL's two-dimensional structure, confirming its robust psychometric properties and satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive findings revealed a skeptical view of traditional romantic myths among participants, indicating the scale's good reliability and successful adaptation to the Peruvian context. This validation highlights how debunking romantic love myths can improve relationship dynamics and satisfaction and addresses their wider societal effects.

Systemic theories addressing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in couples postulate associations between primary trauma survivor functioning, secondary trauma survivor functioning, and couple functioning. However, there is a lack of examination of the association between secondary trauma survivor functioning and couple functioning, which has clinical implications. Objectives of this study include informing clinicians of the evidence base for these associations and providing a synthesized review of research on PTSD in couples to inform future research. A systematic research synthesis screening 150 articles from three databases resulted in the inclusion of 15 quantitative articles to examine the quality of the available research addressing the association between secondary trauma survivor functioning and couple functioning. Correlation matrices in all studies and other partial evidence supported the current theory positing the relevance of secondary traumatic stress in interpersonal functioning for couples. Discussion includes the need for increased quality and diversity of systemic trauma research and treatment for couples.

Forgiveness plays an important role in couple relationships, as it is essential in overcoming interpersonal offenses and related to the well-being of the relationship. To date, no valid instruments are available for Spanish populations to evaluate forgiveness within marital relationships. This study aims to adapt and evaluate the Marital Offense-Specific Forgiveness Scale (MOFS), comparing the behavior of the scale in two cultural contexts: Spain and the United States.

Two studies were conducted: the first with 389 participants to evaluate the behavior of the scale and to explore the dimensionality of the Spanish version of the MOFS using exploratory factor analysis (EFA); the second study used a sample of 361 Spanish and 119 American participants, conducting a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and an invariance factor analysis.

The EFA revealed two factors: Avoidance–Resentment and Benevolence. Using CFA, the factorial structure of the MOFS was confirmed, with results indicating that the proposed model presents a similar fit to the original version.

Romantic relationships have the potential to be a great source of support or a significant stressor depending on the quality of the relationship. Given the importance of these relationships, it is important to explore possible predictors of relationship quality, primarily if such predictors can be targeted in a clinical setting. Relationship mindfulness, or the propensity to be mindful in the setting of a romantic relationship, is one such option. The current study explored the associations between relationship mindfulness, negative relationship quality, and physical health. An online assessment was completed by 116 middle-aged different-sex couples that measured the variables of interest. In addition, an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model was utilized to determine significant associations between relationship mindfulness, negative relationship quality, and physical health for both actors and partners. The clinical implications are that relationship mindfulness may help to decrease negative relationship quality and subsequently benefit individual physical health.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with romantic relationship distress and dissolution. The complex interaction between BPD and romantic relationships warrants further attention. Dyadic interviews (N = 10) were conducted to examine the experience and impact of BPD on couples' relationships. The results of interpretative phenomenological analysis consisted of two superordinate themes describing the couple experience of navigating BPD: (a) the shared experience of BPD as a relational stressor; and (b) adaptive dyadic coping in the context of BPD. Although BPD was experienced as a relational stressor, dyadic coping and shared externalization of BPD emerged as central components to adaptive couple functioning. Most couples reported that therapy was a critical external resource in their journey toward adaptively functioning in the context of BPD, both intrapersonally and interpersonally. The lived experiences of these couples provides therapists with an increased understanding of the resources that support adaptive dyadic coping with BPD.

Empirical research suggests that married women may more commonly experience spousal pornography use as a relational attachment threat and are more likely to experience negative relational outcomes such as distress and loss of trust. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of married women's response to the discovery or disclosure of spousal pornography use. This study included the experiences of 30 married women who reported spousal pornography use as a threat to relational attachment, who chose to remain with their spouse, and who reported evidence of individual and relational healing thereafter. The research question, “How do married women describe the experience of learning of their spouse's pornography use and the individual and relationship sequelae that follow?” was explored using grounded theory methods to analyze deidentified blogpost accounts emphasizing response to a spouse's pornography use. The results describe a process model highlighting three interrelated informant categories—emotional response, mental response, and physical response—and one resultant category—behavioral response. Implications include (a) the importance of open communication regarding pornography use within relationships, (b) the necessity for individual and relational healing following betrayal trauma, and (c) the role of therapeutic intervention in shaping adaptive healing processes.

Parental efficacy is an important aspect of parenting and a key outcome in many parenting programs. However, most studies focus on mothers, and less is known about the relationship between coparents' parental efficacy over time following intervention, and how parental distress can impact parental efficacy. The current study (N = 271 heterosexual couples; 162 intervention and 109 control) used a dyadic latent growth model to explore the dependence structure of parental efficacy between couples 2 years after assignment to a military parenting program, After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools or a control condition. Results revealed a significant intervention effect, with both mothers and fathers in the intervention group exhibiting quadratic changes over 2 years, while the control group remained relatively stable. Notably, mothers' baseline emotional distress and fathers' deployment length emerged as predictors in understanding parental efficacy improvement over time. This research underscores the importance of adopting a family systems perspective and considering emotional distress and environmental stressors in designing targeted interventions to support military families and enhance overall well-being.

The study examined how Black heterosexual couples cope with the impact of racial discrimination on their relationship. The Vulnerability Stress Adaptation (VSA) model was utilized to examine the role of self-compassion in mitigating negative interaction in the relationship and how racial discrimination might disrupt this protective process. Further, the influence of open communication on the relationship between negative interaction and overall relationship satisfaction was explored. Participants included 210 Black married heterosexual couples. A common-fate moderated mediation model was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that first, higher levels of self-compassion in both spouses were associated with lower negative interaction within the couple's relationship. Second, among wives, the relationship between self-compassion and negative interaction changed in response to higher levels of racial discrimination. Third, couples' negative interaction suppressed the positive effects of self-compassion on overall relationship satisfaction. Fourth, for wives, the level of open communication played a role in the relationship between negative interaction and relationship satisfaction. Fifth, specifically for wives, the extent to which self-compassion was related to relationship satisfaction through negative interaction depended on the level of discrimination perceived by wives and the degree of open communication in their relationships. The findings have implications for clinical work and further research.