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Direct, indirect, and partner effects estimated among uplifts, respite care, stress, and marital quality across mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 102) and Down syndrome (n = 111) were examined in this cross-sectional study. Parents of children with ASD who reported more uplifts and less stress individually reported better marital quality; these wives reported better marital quality as their husbands reported more uplifts and less stress. Wives with children with DS who reported more uplifts, individually along with their husbands reported less stress and better marital quality. Respite was directly associated with marital quality for parents of children with ASD and indirectly associated with marital quality for parents of children with DS with reduced individual stress. Implications are discussed.

Using daily diary data from 28 later life couples where one spouse had diabetes and osteoarthritis, we examined crossover effects of target spouses' daily activity limitations and their partners' daily mood. On days when target spouses' daily activity limitations were higher than average, partners' positive mood decreased and negative mood increased; when target wives' limitations were higher than average, husbands' positive mood was higher. Marital happiness and frequency of telephone conversations of target spouses buffered some relations. Results advance our understanding of daily health processes within later life marriages by identifying crossover effects of activity limitations of an ill spouse with the mood of their partner and underscore the role of marital happiness and social contacts in buffering these associations.

This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands' marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related relationship stressors.

Individual, biological, psychological, and social factors have each been associated with sexual satisfaction. In the current study we examine ways that these factors combined in the same study might be associated with understanding couples' sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion by evaluating an actor-partner-interdependence-model (APIM). This model was based on data (N = 2,187 couples) collected as part of a nationally representative study of the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the APIM model. The results indicated that the quality of sleep and the number of physical symptoms both partners were experiencing were substantially associated with the same individual's depression and anxiety. In turn, depression and anxiety were associated with the quality of communication and the ability to resolve conflict. These social variables had strong associations with sexual satisfaction and they, along with sexual satisfaction, were significantly associated with the couple's ability to experience harmonious sexual passion in their relationship. We examined how couples' sleep, symptoms of illness, depression and anxiety, communication and conflict were associated with couples' sexuality. With a sample of 2,187 couples, we found that sleep and symptoms of illness were associated with depression and anxiety which were associated with communication and conflict. Communication and conflict had strong associations with sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Using feminist theory as a lens, we tested whether couple finance behaviors are associated with marital outcomes and whether shared relational power mediates these associations. Background: Building on a previous study, we sought to understand financial dynamics and relational power (a) in early marriage, (b) using a nationally representative sample, and (c) considering financial deception. Method: We tested these associations with a nationally representative sample of mixed‐gender U.S. newlyweds (N = 1,654 couples; data are from the CREATE [Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences] project) using an actor–partner interdependence mediation model. Results: In support of our hypotheses, we found significant actor and partner associations from financial conflict, financial deception, and unequal influence in financial decision‐making with relational power, marital satisfaction, and marital stability. Additionally, many associations between couple finance variables and marital outcomes were mediated by relational power. We did not find expected associations from employment status and joint/separate bank accounts to relational power, marital satisfaction, or marital stability. Conclusion: Our findings support feminist claims suggesting that unequal financial power is linked to unequal relational power, which is in turn associated with lower marital satisfaction and stability. Implications: Financial conflict, financial deception, and unequal financial influence can unbalance relational power and weaken new marriages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite couples with similar financial values tending to experience higher relationship satisfaction, individuals with dissimilar spending tendencies often marry each other. Research has not yet established strategies for therapists to encourage for newlywed couples with dissimilar financial values. We examined associations between similarity of financial values and relationship flourishing among 1,486 different-sex newlywed couples. In these associations, we tested both husbands' and wives' forgiveness as moderators. Only wives' forgiveness significantly moderated associations between similarity of financial values and husbands' and wives' relationship flourishing. Therapists may consider encouraging forgiveness—especially for wives—in different-sex newlywed couples with dissimilar financial values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether shared leisure offers protection against negative associations between financial distress and relationship quality (satisfaction and commitment) for lower‐ and higher‐income couples. We expected husbands' and wives' reports of shared leisure would be protective of the effects of financial distress (Time 2) on relationship satisfaction (Time 3) and commitment (Time 4) for higher‐income couples (but not lower‐income couples). Participants were drawn from a nationally representative, longitudinal study of US newly married couples. The analytic sample included both members of 1382 different‐gender couples with data across the three sampled waves of data collection. Shared leisure was largely protective of the effects of financial distress on husbands' commitment for higher‐income couples. For lower‐income couples, higher shared leisure exacerbated this effect. These effects were only found at extreme levels of household income and shared leisure. When considering if couples who play together stay together, our findings suggest that it can, but it is critical to understand the financial situation of the couple and the resources they may have to support shared leisure activities. Professionals working with couples should consider their financial situation when making recommendation to engage in shared leisure, such as going out for recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We test whether perceived similarity of partners' financial values is associated with marital satisfaction and stability and whether financial communication mediates these associations. Background: Although many studies have found links between finances and marital satisfaction, marital stability has been understudied. Additionally, many studies have examined the impact of couple financial behaviors on marital outcomes but have failed to account for the role of financial values in shaping those behaviors. Couple and finances theory motivated the study and guided our hypotheses. Method: We used dyadic data from the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences project, a nationally representative sample of newlyweds (N = 1,700 different‐sex couples). We conducted an actor–partner interdependence model to test direct and indirect associations. Results: Partners who perceived similar financial values are better able to communicate with their spouse about money, which in turn predicts marital satisfaction and stability. We found both actor and partner associations and evidence of both full and partial mediation. Conclusion: Our results support previous research demonstrating the importance of shared financial values in understanding relationship outcomes. Additionally, financial communication is a mechanism linking these constructs. Implications: Our findings may inform interventions for increasing marital satisfaction and stability and for improving couple financial communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have shown that if couples manage their money in sound ways, their marriages may benefit. Scholars have also shown that the quality of a marriage may precede positive financial behaviors. Previous studies have not determined the directionality of these processes, but researchers have assumed that it flows from financial variables to marital satisfaction. Utilizing a sample of U.S. mixed-gender, newlywed dyads (N = 1220), we examined which is a stronger association: financial processes predicting marital processes or marital processes predicting financial processes. Specifically, we estimated three dyadic, structural equation models to examine cross-lagged associations between husbands' and wives' own financial behaviors and their own marital satisfaction, between husbands' and wives' own financial communication and their own marital satisfaction, and between husbands' and wives' own financial behaviors and their own financial communication across two waves of data. We found that husbands' marital satisfaction predicted rank-order change in their reports of financial communication more strongly than the reverse. Furthermore, we found that wives' financial behaviors predicted rank-order change in their reports of financial communication more strongly than the reverse. These results have implications for theory, future research, and improving the financial and marital wellbeing of U.S. mixed-gender, newlywed couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging adult newlywed couples often experience many demands on their time, and three common problems may surface as couples try to balance these demands—problems related to finances, sleep, and sex. We used two waves of dyadic data from 1,001 emerging adult newlywed couples to identify four dyadic latent profiles from husbands’ and wives’ financial management behaviors, sexual satisfaction, and sleep quality: Flounderers, Financially Challenged Lovers, Drowsy Budgeters, and Flourishers. We then examined how husbands’ and wives’ marital satisfaction, in relation to profile membership, varied at a later wave. We found that Financially Challenged Lovers and Flourishers had significantly higher marital satisfaction than Drowsy Budgeters and Flounderers (mostly medium effect sizes). Whereas, Financially Challenged Lovers and Flourishers did not differ in terms of marital satisfaction, Drowsy Budgeters seemed to have slightly higher marital satisfaction than Flounderers for wives only (small effect size). However, we did not find evidence that these connections meaningfully differed by sex. Implications for the efforts of clinicians and educators are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine (a) the relationship between own depressive symptoms and spouses' health condition changes among mid- and later-life couples and (b) the roles of marital relationship quality and spousal caregiving in this relationship. Method Fixed-effect analyses were conducted using data from 3,055 couples aged 45 and older from Waves 1 (2006) to 4 (2012) of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Results Spousal stroke was linked with higher depression symptoms. Spouses' onset of cancer was related to an increase in depressive symptoms for wives, but not for husbands. Spousal caregiving and marital satisfaction were significant moderators: Wives caring for spouses with cancer reported more depressive symptoms than those not providing care; husbands caring for spouses with lung disease reported more depressive symptoms than those not providing care. The associations between wives' heart disease, husbands' cancer diagnosis, and depressive symptoms were weaker for couples with higher marital satisfaction. Discussion The findings suggest variations across health condition types and gender. Relationship quality and caregiving are important contexts moderating the negative impact of spousal chronic illness on depression. Health care providers should be aware that spouses' health statuses are connected and that type of illness may affect the care context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight change may be affected by dyadic processes within couple relationships. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to explore trends in BMI across time, and assess whether relationship processes (i.e., relationship satisfaction, positive problem-solving), predict BMI trajectories in men and women. Data are from 268 participants in the Diabetes Support Project, a randomized trial of behavioral intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in poor glycemic control. For secondary analyses, BMI was measured at pre-treatment (baseline), 4 months (post-treatment), 8 months, and 12 months. Multiple relationship variables were measured at all time points and were modeled as predictors and correlates of change in BMI across time. In general, BMI trajectories had higher starting values (intercepts) for females than for males in the sample (b = −2.51, p <.05), and slopes trended downward from pre-treatment to 12 months (b = −.09, p <.05). Downward trajectories of BMI were more pronounced for women with higher relationship satisfaction (b =.05, p <.05) and higher positive problem solving skills (b =.06, p <.05) at baseline. Change in relationship processes were not correlated with change in BMI across time. For women with T2D in this behavioral intervention study, relationship process scores at the beginning of treatment predicted changes in BMI over time, with better problem solving and higher relationship satisfaction at baseline related to steeper decreases in BMI across treatment. Additional research is needed to understand how improving relationship interaction prior to diabetes treatment may positively influence weight loss during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to examine the relationship between perception of parents' marriage, marital satisfaction, and attachment behaviors. Participants included 521 married couples taken from the RELATE project. Gender differences were found between husbands and wives perception of parents' marriage and marital satisfaction. Results also indicated that attachment behaviors were positively and significantly related to increased martial satisfaction for both husbands and wives. Additionally, attachment behaviors moderated the relationship between perception of parents' marriage and marital satisfaction. When perception of parents' marriage was negative but attachment behaviors were high, marital satisfaction increased. These findings underscore the importance attachment behaviors play in married relationships. Clinical implications and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sleep problems increase in later life. Studies have linked sleep with marital satisfaction, yet mechanisms, such as mood, have not been explored. The current study is innovative in examining sleep and marital interactions among older couples in a daily context, exploring mood as a potential mediator. Method: Data were taken from the Life and Family Legacies Daily Experiences Study, involving 191 older couples surveyed across 14 days. Multivariate (dyadic) multilevel models were used to address our research questions. Results: Findings indicated significant associations between daily sleep hours, sleep quality, and feeling rested with daily marital interactions. These associations were most consistent for wives. Mediation analyses indicated that positive mood was a common mechanism linking sleep with marital interactions. Also, in some cases, spouse sleep and mood reports were associated with partner marital interactions. Discussion: Improving sleep quality among older couples could lead to better daily marital interactions through changes in mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the special issue of the journal is presented which includes articles on topics including the stressors experienced in later life and in the context of family relationships, internal dynamics of aging families as influenced by religion/spirituality, and marital satisfaction among three age groups.