Suchergebnisse

Background: Women's experiences with secondary stressors resulting from natural disasters, such as increased economic insecurity, expanded caregiving responsibilities and disrupted family life, may contribute to women's mental and physical health problems. Aims: The present study investigates change and stability in post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers over three and a half years. Methods: Using data from 160 tsunami-affected mothers, the present study uses structural equation modelling to investigate (1) change, stability, cross-lagged reciprocal influences of mental and physical health and (2) the meditation effect of negative life events on the relationship between tsunami exposure and post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers from 2005 to 2008. Results: Tsunami exposure contributed to depressive symptoms among mothers independently of pre-tsunami family adversities. Average depressive symptoms showed a decline whereas poor physical health showed an increase over this period. The results also revealed an interrelated health process between depression and physical health over time. Continuity of health problems were mediated by secondary stressors that also exerted an additive effect on later health problems. Conclusions: Post-disaster intervention and recovery programmes should focus not only on mothers' exposure to natural disasters, but also their pre- and post-natural disaster adversities. They should reach disaster-exposed mothers directly and have an integrated health approach to disrupt continuities of health problems.

The impact of the 2004 East Asian Tsunami on Buddhist, Sri Lankan mothers' relationships was investigated in this study. More specifically, the relationship between increased violence and conflict post-Tsunami and the daily intrusiveness of Tsunami-related persisting physical health problems was examined in a sample of 170 women, nearly four years after the disaster. Mediation by marital satisfaction, on the relationship between these variables, after controlling for mental health status was also tested. Increased couple violence or conflict post-Tsunami was significantly and positively related to the daily effect of persistent physical health problems resulting from the Tsunami. Full mediation was revealed through a pronounced path model negatively linking increased couple violence and conflict with marital satisfaction, and negatively linking marital satisfaction to the influence of physical health challenges.

Offerings of couple and relationship education in recent years have included more diverse populations of participants, as well as more diverse facilitators in community‐based program delivery. As a result, the opportunity has emerged to examine contextual factors that may impact program effects. This study examined the relationship between participant‐facilitator demographic match of ethnicity, sex, education, and relationship status on reported facilitator quality and program outcomes, as well as the relationship between facilitator quality and program outcomes. Results indicated that sex match was related to facilitator quality. Relationship status match was related to change in couple functioning, and education match was related to change in individual functioning. Additionally, facilitator quality was related to program outcomes. Findings suggest the value of adopting an additive approach to program implementation, in which facilitation quality and skillsandsimilarity between participant and facilitator are considered.

The current study represents a novel test of parenting outcomes among participants in couple and relationship education (CRE). Utilizing a systems theory framework and empirical linkages between couple functioning and parenting, this study examined the extent to which several parenting dimensions (coparenting conflict, parental involvement, and positive discipline practices) change after CRE participation and, importantly, whether and how these changes are related to changes in dimensions of couple functioning. In a sample of 623 adult parents, diverse in gender, race, and marital status, positive changes were found in the parenting dimensions over time. In addition, levels of change in the couple domain were associated with levels of changes in the parenting domain over the same period of time, with a pattern of stronger links between conceptually similar dimensions of couple functioning and parenting.

Some scholars have suggested that distressed populations may benefit more from couple and relationship education (CRE) than do their nondistressed counterparts. We examined this hypothesis using actor–partner interdependence models to explore the relationship between baseline relational instability and change for individuals and their partners (379 couples; 758 individuals) who participated in a CRE program for 6 to 8 weeks. Findings indicated that a higher level of relational instability on the part of women was associated with greater positive change in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, respondents' and partners' baseline relational instability moderated the change in women's couple quality, such that women reported greater positive change in relationship quality when reporting higher instability and higher relationship quality before CRE participation, and when their partners reported higher instability and lower quality before CRE participation. Men appear to benefit from CRE participation regardless of baseline relational instability. Suggestions for researchers and facilitators are discussed.

The association between depression and marital satisfaction has been clearly documented. Theoretical approaches describe the direction of effects as depression leading to marital dissatisfaction (stress generation model) and, alternately, marital dissatisfaction leading to depression (marital discord model). Clinical research indicates that treating the relationship of unstable couples can result in improvements in relationship satisfaction and depression. However, many unstable couples may not attend therapy and choose rather to attend Couple and Relationship Education (CRE). Using 250 ethnically diverse couples in communityCREclasses, the authors found that relationally unstable participants ofCREreport improvements in depressed affect and relationship quality after program participation. Additionally, decreased depressed affect predicted increased relationship quality, not vice versa, and there were no differences by sex. The authors note the potential value ofCREfor unstable couples and recommend that interventionists utilize an inclusive approach, devoting attention to the couple relationship as well as individual distress variables.