Psychology Research Digest
Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice - Vol 15, Iss 2
Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice is a scholarly journal publishing peer-reviewed papers representing the science and practice of family psychology. The journal is the official publication of the Society for Couple and Family Psychology and is intended to be a forum for scholarly dialogue regarding the most important emerging issues in the field, a primary outlet for research particularly as it impacts practice and for papers regarding education, public policy and the identity of the profession of family psychology.
Married in the military: Relationship satisfaction and distress among serving U.K. couples.
The competing demands of the military can adversely affect the relationships of military couples. However, there is little U.K. research, and most research focuses only on the role of personnel mental health on relationship outcomes. Data from 219 female partner/male military personnel couples collected during a study of military-connected children (2010–2012) were used to determine relationship distress among U.K. serving military couples (Dyadic Adjustment Scale–7 < 21). Dyadic analyses were used to examine associations between individual couple member Dyadic Adjustment Scale–7 scores and sociodemographic, military, and health factors. 29.2% of personnel and 26.9% of partners met criteria for relationship distress; 41.5% of couples contained at least one member who met criteria. Relationship satisfaction was associated with relationship satisfaction in the other couple member (β = 0.460), partner posttraumatic stress disorder scores (β = −0.276), and lower personnel rank (β = −0.344). Partners of personnel of lower rank and personnel with increased posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms may be more at risk of lower relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of examining the mental health of both serving and nonserving couple members when examining military family outcomes given the impact of partner health on personnel relationship satisfaction. Additional information should be provided to military partners and couples on the realities of Service life prior to joining, with greater advertisement of military initiatives to raise awareness of available services for personnel and their partners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Partner support adequacy in the association between relationship distress and trauma disclosure avoidance.
Relationship distress can impact various dynamics within romantic relationships. Disclosure of trauma commonly occurs in relationships and can mitigate posttraumatic stress symptoms. Social support from one’s romantic partner (i.e., partner support) can facilitate a supportive environment conducive to disclosure. The present study investigated how type and adequacy of partner support influenced the association between relationship distress and trauma disclosure avoidance among 254 partnered individuals with a trauma history. Data were collected from participant questionnaires from March 2021 to December 2021. Stratified moderation analyses were conducted for participants with and without probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results indicated that among those without probable PTSD, no moderation effects emerged (ps = .470–.910). However, partner support showed significant moderation effects across all support types (ps = .001–.007) for participants with probable PTSD. Specifically, at low levels of relationship distress, underprovision of partner support was associated with the highest levels of trauma disclosure avoidance, whereas at high levels of relationship distress, the pattern inversed such that overprovision of partner support was associated with greater trauma disclosure avoidance. Findings underscore the critical role of partner support in disclosure behaviors of individuals with probable PTSD. Clinical implications include emphasizing the importance of reducing relationship distress and fostering supportive romantic relationships to enhance the environment for potential trauma disclosure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>A mixed-methods instrumental collective case study of the OurRelationship program.
Romantic relationship distress impacts the physical and mental health of couples. While couple therapy is effective, many barriers limit its accessibility. Online programs offer a broader reach but may lack personalized depth. The OurRelationship (OR) program—a coach-assisted, online adaptation of Integrated Behavioral Couples Therapy—circumvents those barriers. The present study employs an instrumental collective case study approach to elucidate how the OR program can be adapted for diverse populations to address unique couple dynamics and improve program outcomes. Four couples represented populations accessing OR: low-income, racial minority, same- and mixed-gender, military-affiliated, were M = 37.5 years old and had at least some college education. Couples were White, non-Hispanic (50%), African American or Black, non-Hispanic (37.5%), and mixed race (12.5%). They were selected based on varying presenting problems, population representation, program outcomes, and the availability of recorded coach interactions. Reliable change results indicated all participants improved, but 50% of individuals showed statistically reliable change. During coach appointments, participants praised the program’s safe environment for expressing emotions and breaking longstanding barriers. This case study illustrates the flexibility and impacts of coach-level interventions to enhance emotional connection and understanding of issues that couples experience in the OR program. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Thinking about moving in together? Reasons for cohabitation are associated with relationship outcomes over time.
Romantic couples moving in together (i.e., cohabitation) is a normative stage of romantic relationships, and people report different reasons for moving in together. Few studies have examined whether reasons for cohabitation have implications for relationship functioning over time. This study investigated how three commonly endorsed reasons for cohabitation (i.e., to spend time together, to test the relationship, and out of convenience) were associated with relationship outcomes (relationship functioning and dissolution) over time. In a 5-year longitudinal study (from 2007 to 2012), adults (N = 485) who were in opposite-sex relationships and moved in with their partner were surveyed on their reasons for cohabitation (closest in time to moving in together) and their relationship status and functioning (in up to 11 waves of surveys). Results showed that greater endorsement of cohabiting to spend time together predicted better overall relationship functioning after cohabiting. Greater endorsement of testing the relationship predicted worse overall relationship functioning and a higher likelihood of relationship dissolution after cohabiting. Moving in together out of convenience did not predict postcohabitation relationship outcomes. The three reasons did not predict overtime trajectories (i.e., slopes) of relationship functioning. Instead, people showed similar trajectories of relationship functioning after moving in together regardless of their reasons for cohabitation, albeit at different levels that were differentiated at the time of moving in together. Reasons for cohabitation appear to reflect preexisting relationship quality, instead of impacting its postcohabitation trajectories. Findings highlight the importance of couples discussing their reasons for cohabitation when making decisions about moving in together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Diversifying research on the transition to parenthood: Recruitment of a sample of ethnic minority, low-income prenatal couples.
The transition to parenthood (TTP) is a major life event in which romantic partners undergo significant changes in their relationship. For this reason, understanding the ways that couples change and adapt when welcoming a child into their home has been of long-standing interest to couple and family psychologists. The major body of research on TTP has successfully built a strong understanding of relationship development during this important period, but these insights have been overwhelmingly focused on the experience of affluent married couples, with little focus on changes in the relationships of unmarried couples or those from economically and racially minoritized backgrounds. To increase our knowledge about TTP among couples who have historically been excluded from couple and family psychology research, the current research describes a study designed to yield a sample of one particular group of couples who have been underrepresented in TTP literature, namely, low-income, unmarried, Spanish-speaking couples living in the United States. We present a narrative description of our processes as well as descriptive statistics for (a) recruitment strategies, (b) scheduling and administering data collection sessions, and (c) characteristics of couples who ultimately participated in the study. Results of this study will help inform other researchers who wish to expand our understanding of the TTP period by moving beyond samples of married, affluent, White, English-speaking couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>What is important to us? Parents’ individual and couple values and coparenting.
Recent research has focused on couple values, namely what the partners perceive as important for their couple as a whole. In Study 1, we investigated whether respondents’ couple values, as perceived by each partner, when controlling for individual values, were related to coparenting among 546 individuals, all being parents (54.1% mothers; Mage = 41.52 years, SD = 7.19). Results showed the relevant role of both couple self-transcendence and self-enhancement values, over and above the respective individual values. In Study 2, we focused on the discrepancy between couple values of heterosexual parents (167 couples; Mage of mothers = 42.14 years, SD = 6.78; Mage of fathers = 45.41 years, SD = 7.57), that is the extent to which partners have different perceptions of what is relevant for their couple, in relation to their coparenting. While couple values are more strongly related to coparenting compared to individual values, the couple value discrepancy between the two partners is not. It appears that each partner’s perception of which values are relevant for the couple is more important for a supportive coparental relationship than the actual similarity in couple values between partners. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>