D.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing Science) / The overall goal of this research study was to explore and describe strategies in order to promote the mental health of married couples throughout the ante- and postnatal period. The majority of research on the transition to parenthood has found that as couples become parents, there is a dramatic decrease in positive marital interchanges, a dramatic increase in marital conflict and a precipitous decline in marital satisfaction (Belsky & Kelly, 1994; Belsky & Pensky, 1988: 133-156; Belsky, Spanier & Rovine, 1983: 567-577). The transition to parenthood is viewed as instigating a shift in the marriage whereby most couples are expected to experience a qualitative change in their relationship that is relatively abrupt (Pancer, Pratt, Hunsberger & Gallant, 2000: 253-280). Becoming a new parent poses challenges for nearly every married couple (Curran, Hazen, Jacobvitz & Feldman, 2005: 189). Becoming a parent is a major developmental transition of adulthood (Harwood, McLean & Durkin, 2007: 1). Individuals often have optimistic expectations about parenthood, yet this transition also presents a number of challenges (Harwood et al, 2007: 1). The questions that arose was what are the stories of married couples throughout the ante- and postnatal period of their first child, and what can be done by an advanced psychiatric nursing practitioner to promote the mental health of married couples based on their story. The researcher utilised a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study design as described in Babbie (2010: 92). This research study was carried out in four phases. During the first phase of this research study, the researcher explored and described the stories of married couples throughout the ante- and postnatal period of their first child according to the quest narrative method described by Frank (1997: 115). The results were discussed within relevant literature. iv In the second phase of this research study the researcher developed a conceptual framework on the basis of the empirical data. The conceptual framework was developed according to the concepts as proposed by Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968: 435). The researcher described strategies, to promote the mental health of married couples throughout the ante- and postnatal period of their first child, in the third phase of this research study. These strategies were described according to a relationship phase, a working phase and a termination phase as part of the facilitation process. These three phases were discussed as part of a proposed facilitation process that forms part of the developed conceptual framework. In the fourth phase of this research study, the developed strategies were subjected to expert assessment according to the criteria stated by Chinn and Kramer (2011: 196-205). The findings of the research study are applicable to psychiatric nursing practice, research and psychiatric nursing education.

M.Cur. (Nursing Science) / People play a major role in each other’s lives and this is because they rely on one another for survival. Many studies have been done on families and how they experience having persons challenged with mental illness but little has been done on couples and how they experience a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness or on the facilitation of the mental health of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the lived experience of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness in order to describe guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the couples. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. The research was done in two phases. Phase one focused on an exploration of the lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. Phase two focused on guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the couples as a framework for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting participants for the research study. The criteria were set out to be: couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness with the willingness to participate and above the age of eighteen years. Phenomenological interviews were conducted and field notes gathered. Tesch’s method of data analysis was applied to analyse the data. Themes and categories were identified and a consensus was reached with the independent coder. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were considered and the criteria for ensuring rigour included truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Ethical principles were also adhered to and those included: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice to protect the human participants. Findings have shown that both partners in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness, experience challenges in the relationship. They experience the relationship as different to what it was before there was mental illness. The couples experience a change in their social roles, as the partner with mental illness cannot work, provide, or fulfil his or her role in the relationship. The partner without mental illness carries more responsibility than before because of the demands which the mental illness imposes in the relationship. There is also emotional upheaval experienced by both partners because being in the relationship for both of them is overwhelming. They also experience interpersonal distance linked to unhealthy relational patterns characterised by constant fights and drifting apart. The couples also experience a changed relationship with the self, and financial challenges as the mental illness cost them a great deal. The partners with mental illness experience rejection and feel undeserving of spousal support, whereas the partners without mental illness experience a burden due to the increased responsibility that they have to assume and that is both socioeconomic and household roles. Guidelines based on the findings as described by the couples were described in Chapter Four in order to facilitate the mental health of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. Recommendations for mental health nursing practice, mental health nursing education and mental health nursing research were made. The study was evaluated and limitations were outlined.

The marriage and family literature has identified a host of factors that contribute to a satisfactory marital union. For example, research on religious congruency has indicated that the more similar partners are in their religious beliefs the higher their reported marital satisfaction. Another construct studied in conjunction with marital satisfaction is adult attachment style. The attachment literature has consistently shown that secure couples tend to report higher marital satisfaction than couples with at least one insecure partner. The purpose of this study was to examine the combined role of religious commitment and attachment in marital satisfaction. Heterosexual couples (N = 184; 92 husbands, 92 wives) without children and married 1-5 years were administered a background information questionnaire, the Religious Commitment Inventory-10, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory. Results indicated that couples with congruent religious commitment reported higher marital satisfaction than couples with large discrepancies in religious commitment. Religious commitment did not mediate the relationship between attachment and marital satisfaction, but instead was found to moderate this relationship. Results of this study will benefit clinicians working in the field to help newly married couples negotiate the marital relationship.

The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to examine the correlation between frequency of sexual activity and general happiness among older Americans and (2) to examine the correlation between frequency of sexual activity and marital happiness among older married Americans. This study employed quantitative data drawn from the 2004-2008 General Social Surveys. Two samples were used. The first sample included all respondents 65 years of age and older with valid responses for the dependent, independent, and control variables. The second sample was a subset of the first and included only the married respondents. Both bivariate cross-tabulations and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. As expected, the data support a positive association between sexual activity and general happiness in both the total elder sample and the married elder sample (p < 0.05). Also, as expected, the data support a positive association between frequency of sexual activity and marital happiness in the married elder sample (p < 0.05). Even with the introduction of control variables, frequency of sexual activity was found to be a significant predictor of both general and marital happiness (p < 0.05). This study suggests that sexual activity does indeed contribute the happiness and well-being of older Americans.

No description available.

The problem of this study was to investigate the relationship between attitudes of love and marital adjustment through seven stages of the marital life cycle. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the changes which occur in attitude toward love and marital adjustment through the marital life cycle. The average number of subjects in each of the seven marital groups was 16, for a total of 114 couples or 228 subjects. All subjects were volunteers from three North Texas church populations. Test data for each of the seven marital groups consisted of husbands" and wives' scores on the Marital Adjustment Test and the Love Attitudes Inventory.

MER Mathivha Centre for African Languages, Arts and Culture / PhD (Tshivenda)

No description available.

The relationship among role strain, coping, and stress was quantitatively assessed using responses from 190 dual-career husbands and wives. Cluster analysis of stress scores resulted in the adoption of a six-cluster solution. MANOVA on role strain confirmed a significant effect by Cluster, F(15,455)=8.92, p=.001. Post hoc analyses indicated that Cluster VI had significantly lower scores from all other clusters on all three role categories: marital, professional, and parental. Cluster I had significantly higher scores than Cluster v and VI on all three role strain categories. MANOVA on coping strategies confirmed a significant effect by Cluster, F(35,709)=1.95, p=.001. Although individuals in this sample reported low to moderate strain and stress, significant variation existed within the sample. Individuals experiencing the lowest strain and stress employed two coping responses most often, Delegating Responsibility and Cognitive Restructuring. The results are explained with regard to stage of career and family development and child care concerns. / Ph. D.

This study examined age span between children as a significant factor which affected the time use of wives and husbands in 1,983 two-parent, two-child families. Data were derived from the Northeastern Regional Project, NE 113, sponsored by the Science and Education Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture. Using a multiple regression technique to investigate the individual activities that comprised household work time, it was found that age of the younger child, age of the older child, and age span, the interaction between the ages of the children, were significantly related to and were responsible for 49% of the variation in wives’ and nearly 16% of the variation in husbands’ time devoted to the physical care of other family members. Age span was not related to travel time use for any activity but was significantly related to secondary time use for non-physical care of family members by both parents. Age span, the interaction variable, accounted for differences between the ages of the children and explained the variation in effects of the differences at various ages. Plotting the significant interactions revealed five patterns of time use. The most prevalent pattern was when the age of the younger child was very young and the age of the older child increased, the most time was used for the activity; as the age of the younger child approached school age, and the age of the older child increased, the amount of time used for the activity leveled off, or, neither increased or decreased. Then, as the age of the younger child increased still further, and the age of the older child increased, time used for the activity, increased. This pattern fit wives’ time used for total work, household work, and physical care of family members; husbands’ time used for physical care of family members; and both parents’ secondary time used for physical care of family members. Wives’ time used for paid work and volunteer work followed an opposite pattern. The data have show that spacing of children has a direct bearing on parents’ time use decisions. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata