Marital relationships play an important role in family functioning and in the development of sibling relationships. From a family systems perspective, other subsystems within the family, such as coparenting interactions, could explain the effects of the marital relationship on sibling bonds. Specifically, the quality of the coparenting relationship may mediate the association between marital functioning and sibling relationship quality. The current study examined relationships between these three subsystems (marital, coparenting, and sibling) as self-reported by mothers, fathers, and children with siblings. As part of a larger project, families with a child aged 8 to 11 and at least one sibling (N = 75) completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Coparenting Scale (both completed by mother and father), as well as the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (completed by target child). Results suggested that marital functioning is a significant predictor of functioning within the coparenting relationship. Predicted associations did not emerge between sibling relationship quality and marital or coparenting relationships, with minor exceptions, and the coparenting relationship did not mediate the association between marital and sibling relationship quality. Implications of the current findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Consistently researchers have demonstrated that marital interactions of couples with and without a depressed partner differ. Given the high comorbidity of depression and marital distress, it is unclear whether observed communication patterns are due to marital distress or depression. Recent investigations suggest that, after controlling for marital satisfaction, marital communication behaviours may not be specific to depression. However, depressed groups in these investigations may have consisted of individuals with a wide range of acute mood states, thus minimizing differences between depressed and non-depressed mood states. Consistent with cognitive vulnerability models of depression, depressed individuals’ dysfunctional behaviours may manifest only during negative mood states. The first purpose of the present study was to use a mood induction procedure (MIP) to examine whether any marital communication were specific to depression, after controlling for marital satisfaction. The second purpose of the study was to examine whether communication behaviours predicted depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of 69 couples characterized by a wide range of wife depressive symptoms and couple marital satisfaction. Results of the current study showed that women who endorsed higher depressive symptoms were more likely to use high-level negative demands (e.g., use of angry, belligerent tone) and indirect demands (e.g., use of flirting, whining, or nagging tone) after they received a sad MIP, but depressive symptoms were not related to these behaviours when there was no MIP. Interestingly, depressive symptoms were positively correlated with low-level negative demands (attempts to influence one’s partner in a frustrated, defensive manner) regardless of whether or not wives received a sad MIP. Results also showed that when wives were induced with a sad mood, husbands of wives who endorsed higher levels of depressive symptoms engaged in more positive demands (e.g., use of warmth and understanding). Additionally, preliminary longitudinal data suggest that, wives who engaged in higher levels of high-level negative demands report lower levels of subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings are discussed in light of interpersonal theories of depression. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 09:52:59.682

Familial bereavement is recognized as a considerable life crisis (Strobe & Hanson, 2001). Furthermore, bereaved parents are more likely to be at risk for having long lasting, and intense psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide (Darbyshire, 2013; Omerove et.al, 2013). Losing a child is a devastating experience, which dramatically changes the parents’ lives (Darbyshire, 2013; Oliver, 1999; Omerove et.al, 2013). Although much research has addressed the experiences of bereaved parents, and has come up with themes related to coping experiences, the research is still restricted to the western world, and has yet not intensely addressed the cross-cultural aspect. Although limiting this study to adherents of the three Abrahamic religions in the U.S. is still restricted in some way to the western world, in other ways it opens the door to understanding parental bereavement differences across three religions. Spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship have been found to be buffers to grief; yet, it is not clear how essential these variables are to the bereaved parents across different religions. The current cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship among adjustment and other factors (spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship) that might influence adjustment to bereavement among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim bereaved parents. A cross-sectional online survey was launched from January to February 2016 to measure participants’ baseline adjustment, spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship. A diverse group of 145 bereaved parents participated in this study, including 65 religious Christians (44.83%), 41 religious Jews (28.28%), and 39 religious Muslims (26.90%) with an average age of 44 (SD = 12.80). The results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the three religious groups in terms of their adjustment, religiosity spirituality, perceived social support, and marital relationship. Muslims were found to have higher baseline rates of all study constructs more than Jewish and Christian bereaved parents. The results indicated only perceived social support and spirituality significantly predicted the adjustment level among the bereaved parents when holding all other terms constant. Whereas only perceived social support and religious involvement significantly predicted the marital relationship level among the bereaved parents when holding all other terms constant. These results shed light on some important implications for counselor educators and particularly for practitioners working with the bereaved parents populations. Limitations and recommendations for further research are also suggested.

This study examined pregnancy risk and protective factors for developing postpartum depression from a structural family theory lens. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine previously identified pregnancy stressors to learn which stressors put women more at risk for postpartum depression and (2) to identify possible buffers for women who are at risk for developing postpartum depression. In this paper, two analyses were proposed. Analysis I, uses a hierarchal regression analysis to examine the impact of couple related stress on postpartum depression. Analysis II uses moderated multiple regression to test factors during pregnancy which may protect at-risk women from postpartum depression symptoms. Three post-hoc exploratory analyses were conducted following the originally proposed analyses. Secondary data was used in this study. The data was collected in four large urban hospitals in Utah from 2005-2007 and included 1568 women. The results of these analyses illustrate the importance of conceptualizing postpartum depression from a family systems perceptive. Specifically, this study shows that a couple’s relationship, depending on the stress level experienced in the relationship, can be both a risk and protective factor for pregnant women. / Ph. D.

[pt] Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo a investigação do processo de dissolução da conjugalidade, incluindo o luto decorrente desse processo. Para atingir tal objetivo, este estudo analisa os discursos de homens e mulheres sobre a separação conjugal, perpassando seus sentimentos, assim como, sua relação com os ex-cônjuges. Para realização deste trabalho, foram entrevistados 10 homens e 10 mulheres que ainda não tinham recasado, que ficaram casados ao menos 3 anos, que estavam separados há, no mínimo, 1 ano e, no máximo, 7 anos, e que tiveram filhos com os ex-parceiros. Enquanto as mulheres mencionam que os sentimentos seguintes à separação estavam relacionados ao sonho de amor desfeito, os homens relacionam esses sentimentos à perda do contato diário com os filhos. Com relação aos sentimentos atuais decorrentes da separação, embora mais frequentes nas falas femininas, sentimentos de autonomia, autovalorização e crescimento pessoal aparecem tanto no discurso dos homens quanto no depoimento das mulheres. Em contrapartida, sentimentos de tristeza são mencionados somente pelos homens, ainda que não tenham a mesma intensidade e frequência do período pós-separação. No que diz respeito à parentalidade, os dados ratificam a dificuldade dos pais em conversar sobre o processo de separação com os filhos. Por outro lado, os resultados indicam que a maioria dos participantes não teve sua capacidade parental diminuída logo após a separação. Nesta pesquisa, a maioria dos entrevistados manteve o mesmo padrão de relacionamento com o ex-cônjuge ao longo do tempo. A manutenção de um bom relacionamento com o ex-parceiro emerge mais nas falas femininas do que no discurso dos homens. Quanto aos casos de conflito e litígio, foi possível verificar como aspectos conjugais e parentais ficam emaranhados. / [en] This research has the intention of investigating the process of the dissolution of the conjugality, including the mourning derived from this process. To achieve such a goal, this study compares the speeches of men and women about the separation, showing their feelings, and their relationship with their ex-partners. In order to do this work, we interviewed 10 men and 10 women, that haven t remarried. They were married at least 3 years, were separated at least a year and at the most 7 years and had children with the ex-partner. While the women mention their feelings after separation are related to the loss of the dream love, the men relate those feelings to the loss of the contact with their kids. In relation with the feelings resulting of separation, even though more frequent in feminine speeches, feelings of self esteem and personal growth are often heard from men and women. On the other hand, sadness feelings are only mentioned by men, even though they don t have the same intensity and frequency of the period post separation. Related to the parenting, data shows the difficulty of parents to talk about the separation process with their kids. On the other hand, the result shows that the majority of the participants didn t have their parental capacity lowered right after separation. In this research, the majority of the interviewed kept the same relationship with the ex-partner with time. The maintenance of a good relationship with the ex-partner emerges more in feminine speeches than in men. As far as the conflicts and legal, was possible to verify how messy marriage and parenting can be.

A literatura têm mostrado que as habilidades sociais constituem um importante ingrediente das relações conjugais satisfatórias e que a competência social é determinada por múltiplos fatores, incluindo-se aí as crenças e normas individual ou coletivamente assimiladas. A comunidade religiosa exerce grande influência sobre o comportamento de seus membros através de normas e preceitos com relação a comportamentos esperados em vários contextos, entre eles o conjugal. Nesse caso, a maioria das igrejas usualmente determina ou induz características associadas ao papel de esposa, de marido e à educação dos filhos. Este estudo teve como principal objetivo verificar a relação existente entre filiação religiosa e habilidades sociais emitidas pelos cônjuges no contexto de seu relacionamento cotidiano e outras variáveis da amostra associadas a esses aspectos. A amostra estudada foi de 74 casais divididos em três grupos: católicos, presbiterianos e sem filiação religiosa. Todos os casais responderam a um Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais (IHSC) e a uma ficha de dados pessoais. Os casais religiosos responderam também a um questionário doutrinário e um outro instrumento no qual foi solicitado que relacionassem uma lista de habilidades sociais aos ensinamentos da igreja, caso acreditassem que houvesse alguma relação. Os dados dos três grupos foram organizados em tabelas e figuras e foram comparados estatisticamente (entre religiões, entre instrumentos e com características da amostra). Os resultados mostraram que: 1) não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os três grupos com relação a indicadores de habilidades sociais, mais especificamente, não houve influência das variáveis: freqüência à igreja, tempo de filiação religiosa, conhecimento doutrinário, relação que o respondente faz entre comportamentos cotidianos e ensinamentos da igreja e relato que o respondente faz com relação à influência da igreja sobre os comportamentos interpessoais conjugais; 2) nas três amostras, verificou-se diferenças significativas entre os respondentes de ambos os sexos com relação a comportamentos socialmente habilidosos, sendo que as mulheres obtiveram índices mais altos; 3) uma análise qualitativa das falas dos respondentes quando solicitados a estabelecerem relações entre habilidades sociais conjugais e ensinamentos doutrinários mostrou em linhas gerais que: a) grande parte das relações estabelecidas, na verdade, associavam habilidades sociais conjugais a regras gerais de convivência e conceitos cotidianos sobre relacionamento conjugal mais do que a ensinamentos doutrinários; b) respondentes presbiterianos se mostraram mais eloqüentes na tarefa de associar habilidades sociais conjugais a possíveis ensinamentos doutrinários; c) vários ensinamentos doutrinários foram associados a habilidades sociais, seja no sentido de apóia-las ou justificar sua não ocorrência. Algumas conclusões foram extraídas deste estudo. A religião parece não ser um fator determinante das habilidades sociais conjugais, sendo o gênero um fator mais determinante. Os respondentes parecem buscar nos ensinamentos religiosos a justificativa para suas ações, tanto socialmente habilidosas, como passivas. Além disso, parece haver um conjunto de ensinamentos religiosos (não necessariamente específicos de uma ou outra religião) que pode favorecer comportamentos sociais potencialmente favoráveis a um bom relacionamento conjugal, embora parte destes ensinamentos possa também justificar comportamentos não habilidosos passivos diante de situações que requerem enfrentamento. Embora não se possa atribuir diferenças em habilidades sociais conjugais à filiação doutrinária, os dados sugerem que a vivência na comunidade religiosa pode estabelecer normas e padrões gerais de convivência (compatíveis com várias religiões cristãs) que são aplicadas também no contexto conjugal, inclusive "modelos" de aplicação de idéias da religião aos diferentes contextos de vida ou inversamente, de justificativas de ações com base nessas idéias. / The literature has shown social skills as an important ingredient in satisfactory marital relationships. Social competence is determined by multiple factors, including beliefs and norms assimilated individually or in the community. The religious group has great influence over its members’ behaviors through norms and principles relating to expected behaviors in several contexts, including the marital relationship. In this case, most Churches usually determine or induce characteristics associated to the wife and husband's roles and to child rearing. The principal aim of this study was to verify the relation between religious affiliation and social skills presented by spouses in the context of their everyday interaction and other associated variables of the sample. Seventy-four couples divided into three groups were studied: Catholics, Presbyterian and without religious affiliation. All of them answered to a Marital Social Skills Inventory (IHSC) and to a Personal Data Form. The religious couples responded also to a doctrinaire questionnaire and to another evaluation where they were required to correlate a list of social skills to the Church’s teachings, if they believed there was an association between them. Data were organized in tables and pictures and statistically compared (between religion, between evaluations and between sample). The results showed that: 1) there was no statistically significant difference between groups in social skills indicators. In other words, there was no influence of variables like Church frequency, religious affiliation time, doctrinaire knowledge, association between everyday behavior and Church's teachings made by respondent and what the respondent tells about the Church’s influence over marital interpersonal behavior; 2) In the three samples significant differences were found between respondents of both sexes relating to social skilled behavior, with women presenting higher scores; 3) A qualitative analysis of the respondents’ speech when asked to establish relations between marital social skills and doctrinaire teachings showed that: a) actually most of the relations established associated marital social skills to general living rules and everyday beliefs about marital relationship more than to doctrinaire teachings; b) presbyterian respondents showed more eloquence in associating marital social skills to feasible doctrinaire teachings; c) several doctrinaire teachings were associated to social skills, both supporting or justifying its non-occurrence. Some conclusions were derived from this study. The religion doesn’t seem to be a determining factor of marital social skills, gender seems to have a more determining role. The respondents seem to search in religious teachings the reason for their actions, both social skilled or passive. Besides that, there may be a set of religious teachings (not necessarily specific of one or other religion) which favour potentially suitable social behaviors in marital relationship, although part of these teachings may also justify passive and non-skilled social behavior in confronting situations. Despite of no differences in marital social skills can be attributed to doctrinaire affiliation, data suggest living in a religious community may establish norms and general patterns of living (compatible with many Christian religions) that are also suitable in the marital context, including "models" of applicating the religious ideas to different contexts of life or, inverted, justifying actions based in these ideas.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:39:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Talita Vendrame de Oliveira.pdf: 3921212 bytes, checksum: 89d14870685febc5fbce63054d0b2c5c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The experience of living with the HIV virus and Aids has had new settings throughout the history of the epidemic, especially as the affective-sexual relationships of these people. Knowledge of HIV status causes changes in emotional settings and it aimed to comprise the meanings of affective-sexual relationships and marital relationship of people who lives with HIV/Aids and how is the process of self-care from the perspective of socio-historical psychology. Our employment was made with a database built from a data already collected between 2006 - 2007 and 2010 - 2012, consisting of 85 participants who had responded the 14 selected questions for the sample. The analysis of the data was performed from the elaboration of meanings cores and to deepen the qualitative analysis was realized one Hierarchical Analysis similarity generating clusters and used the testimonies of the people to illustrate the meanings of affective-sexual relationships and the influence of this relations in the promotion of self-care. The results obtained four clusters, two female and two male. The Cluster1 (women and men) is characterized by being made up of married couples, older, less scholarity and are in a stable relationship a longer time. These people tend reproduce the hegemonic standard of the feminine and masculine. The Cluster 2 (women and men) is characterized by being made up of younger people with a higher level of education, compared with Clusters1 and people who are in a shorter stable relationship or not in a stable relationship. These people have an idealization of romantic relationship, which is what they would like to construct, but at the same time have a better understanding of the real life and are more integrated psychologically. The results show that participants in this sample tend to reproduce the hegemonic pattern of affective-sexual relationships, often uncritically. On the other hand some participants can create new meanings to their relations and thereby build greater self awareness, changing some behaviors and having a better quality in their relationships, which may be a factor promoting self-care / A vivência com o vírus do HIV e com a Aids tem tido novas configurações ao longo da história da epidemia, principalmente quanto as relações afetivas sexuais dessas pessoas. O conhecimento da soropositividade causa alterações nas configurações amorosas com isso objetivou-se compreender as significações das relações afetivo - sexuais e das possibilidades de conjugalidade das pessoas que vivem com HIV/Aids e como desenvolvem seu autocuidado, na perspectiva da psicologia sócio- histórica. Trabalhamos com um banco de dados construído a partir de dados já coletados entre os anos de 2006 - 2007 e 2010 2012, constituído por 85 participantes, os quais haviam respondido14 perguntas pré selecionadas para compor a amostra. A análise dos dados foi efetuada a partir da elaboração de Núcleos de Significados e para o aprofundamento da análise qualitativa foi realizada uma Análise Hierárquica por similaridade gerando clusters e utilizou-se as falas das pessoas para exemplificar as significações das relações afetivas-sexuais e qual a influencia dessas no autocuidado. Nos resultados obtivemos quatro Clusters, sendo dois femininos e dois masculinos. O Cluster1 (das mulheres e dos homens) é caracterizado por ser formado por pessoas casadas, mais velhas, com menor escolaride e estão em um relacionamento estável a mais tempo. Essas pessoas tendem a reproduzir o papel hegemônico esperado do feminino e do masculino. O Cluster 2 (das mulheres e dos homens) é caracterizado por ser formado por pessoas mais jovens, com um nível maior de escolaridade, comparado com os Clusters1 e por pessoas que estão há menos tempo em uma relação estável ou não possuem um relacionamento estável. Essas pessoas apresentam uma idealização do relacionamento afetivo, o que representa o que elas gostariam de construir, mas ao mesmo tempo tem uma melhor compreensão da realidade vivida, sendo mais integradas psiquicamente. Os resultados nos mostram que os participantes desta amostra tendem a reproduzir o padrão hegemônico das relações afetivo-sexuais, muitas vezes sem crítica. Por outro lado alguns participantes conseguem criar novos sentidos para as suas relações e com isso, construir uma maior auto consciência, modificando alguns comportamentos e tendo uma melhor qualidade em suas relações, o que pode ser um fator que promotor do autocuidado

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-04-06T12:49:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Estela Escanhoela Amaral Santos.pdf: 933733 bytes, checksum: b3945479eea9f085b5c79278ab1ca013 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-06T12:49:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Estela Escanhoela Amaral Santos.pdf: 933733 bytes, checksum: b3945479eea9f085b5c79278ab1ca013 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The expatriation of employees for an international corporate mission for two to three years could possibly extended if there is an agreement with the parties involving new negotiations and marital reorganization in case of repatriation with accompanying spouses. This descriptive qualitative study of a systemic approach aimed to understand the psychological process underlying expatriation, when this can be left open, considering it as a family project and having as a particular aims: identify the events that produce the mission extension; identify the personal, familiar, marital, environmental and institutional variables that facilitate and hinder initial adjustment and when expatriation can be left open; and understand the experienced process by the couples when the expatriation happens to have no end predicted. It was investigated it through individual face-to-face interviews, six Brazilian expatriates and their respective companionship in European Continent locations. The results showed that difficulties faced in cultural adaptation produced individual and conjugal transformations, favoring the strengthening of the couple, regardless of the lack of clarity in the organizational politics of expatriation. Personal, environmental, institutional, personal network and marital relationship variables were fundamental from the beginning of adaptation until the moment when the expatriation process had become opened, who’s the decision to remain and until when, prioritized projects that became conjugal and familiar throughout the mission / A expatriação de funcionários para uma missão corporativa internacional por dois a três anos pode ser prolongada se houver acordo entre as partes envolvendo novas negociações e reorganização conjugal no caso de expatriações com cônjuges acompanhantes. Este estudo qualitativo descritivo de abordagem sistêmica buscou compreender o processo psicológico subjacente à expatriação, quando esta se torna em aberto, considerando-a um projeto familiar e tendo como objetivos específicos: identificar os eventos que produzem o prolongamento da missão; identificar as variáveis pessoais, familiares, conjugais, ambientais e institucionais que facilitam e dificultam a adaptação inicial e quando a expatriação se torna em aberto; e compreender o processo vivido pelos casais quando a expatriação passa a não ter final previsto. Investigou, por meio de entrevistas presenciais individuais, seis expatriados brasileiros e suas respectivas esposas acompanhantes em localidades do Continente Europeu. Os resultados mostraram que dificuldades enfrentadas na adaptação cultural produziram transformações individuais e conjugais, favorecendo o fortalecimento do casal, independente da falta de clareza na política organizacional de expatriação. Variáveis pessoais, ambientais, institucionais, rede pessoal e relação conjugal foram fundamentais do início da adaptação ao momento em que o processo de expatriação se tornou em aberto, cuja decisão de permanecer e até quando priorizou projetos que se tornaram conjugais e familiares ao longo da missão

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of video-mediated communication (VMC) to support couples separated during classic Satogaeri Bunben. Satogaeri Bunben refers to the Japanese tradition when a pregnant woman leaves her own home to return to her parents' home during the prenatal period, while her husband often stays behind in the couple's house. When a couple geographically live apart during Satogaeri Bunben, it may decrease father-infant attachment and the negatively impact the marital relationship. VMC was selected as the supportive intervention for couples choosing Satogaeri Bunben in this study because: 1) it provides additional visual cues, which are particularly important because Japanese communication is highly contextual and often more nonverbal than verbal, 2) the addition of visual cues allow husbands the opportunity to see their infant, because they cannot talk, and 3) Japan has one of the best broadband systems worldwide. The specific aims were to explore VMC during Satogaeri Bunben in relation to father-infant attachment and the marital relationship and to describe VMC experiences of Japanese couples separated during Satogaeri Bunben. A comparative case study design with a mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis was used. The specific mixed methods approach used was a [QUAL + quan] triangulation-convergence model. For the qualitative data, the primary source of data was the Participant Diary. The primary sources of quantitative data included three instruments: 1) Taiji Kanjyo Hyotei Syakudo (TKHS), 2) Intimate Bond Measure (IBM), and 3) Primary Communication Inventory (PCI). The PCI was translated into Japanese for this study using a committee approach. Four couples were participated in this study. Data collection for each couple took approximately two to three month to complete. Qualitative data analysis divided the couples in two groups: 1) the engaged group, who were very attentive each other's feelings and 2) the detached group, who were inattentive. The PCI scores further supported the existence of two groups. However, the TKHS and IBM scores were mixed. The limitations included a small sample size and lack of variability in sample characteristics, and short time frame. This study was also the first time to use a newly translated PCI in Japanese. This study successfully explored the use of VMC to support couples choosing Satogaeri Bunben focusing on decreasing the impact of the separation of the couple and later the separation of the husband from his new infant. The qualitative and quantitative findings provided a first glimpse into four couples' feelings and VMC experiences during Satogaeri Bunben, especially in relation to father-infant attachment and the marital relationship. The use of VMC provided ongoing virtual, rather than physical co-presence, which may help couple's communication and relationship during their separation, as they transitioned to parenthood.

The overall aim of the study was to gain some understanding of the lived experience of the care-giving spouses regarding their experiences of the manifestations of the disease, perception of their own health, the possibility of influencing the interpretation of the past, the present and future, outlook on life, surrounding contacts and intimate relationships with their sick partners. The spouses (n=13) of Alzheimer victims were followed with the help of personal interviews, diaries and telephone interviews during a two-years period. The texts was analysed according to a phenomenological-hermeneutic method. The main findings in the study showed that the spouses own health remained quite stable over time. Their perception of the development of their own health seemed to be influenced by how they saw their power to influence their situation, which seemed to be determined by how they interpreted the cause of their health problems.The social network was another important factor for understanding the spouses' experiences. The findings imply that spouses' images of themselves in relation to others were important for their perception of the overall social network. The spouses mostly regarded their relationships positively and their social networks were described as quite stable over time. The spouse's marital relationships, in most cases, seemed to undergo changes with the progress of the disease. Some spouses could maintain feelings of love but mostly the relationships were transformed into ones of tenderness, pity and estrangement. The spouses' valuation of their demented partner was mostly in the form of one of two divergent perspectives. On the one hand, spouses who seemed to perceive their partner as a person separate from the disease, could function as complementary ego aids. On the other hand some spouses were unable to make a distinction between the spouse as a person and the disease.The spouses' experiences regarding their previous relationship with parents, value system, philosophy of life, competence and autonomy seemed to be critical in their experiences of their caring situation. It appears that there is a sub-group of vulnerable carers, as suggested by the concurrence of psychological, physical, and social morbidity, along with deterioration in their marital relationship.The findings are discussed in relation to searching for meaning, the importance of significant others, perceiving and valuing the other, and caring relationships within a life-span perspective. / digitalisering@umu