The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Marital Satisfaction in Couples with Infertility: Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Journal Title: International Journal of Fertility & Sterility - Year 2019, Vol 13, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Infertility, one of life’s great stressors, may adversely affect marital satisfaction. No studies have investigated the relationship between perceived stress and marital satisfaction at the dyadic level. The current study assessed the actor and partner effects of perceived stress on marital satisfaction in husband-wife dyads using an innovative dyadic analysis approach, the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited a total of 141 infertile couples. Marital satisfaction and stress were assessed using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS Scale) and Perceived Stress Scale-4 Item (PSS-4), respectively. Dyadic data have been analysed by the APIM approach, with distinguishable dyads. In this approach, actor effect is the impact of a person᾽s perceived stress on his/her own marital satisfaction. Partner effect is the impact of a person's perceived stress on the partner᾽s marital satisfaction. Results: Both men and women’s perceived stress exhibited an actor effect on their marital satisfaction (β=-0.312, P<0.001, β=-0.405, P<0.001, respectively). Women’s perceived stress had a negative relationship to the marital satisfaction of their partner (β=-0.174, P=0.040). Although the partner effect of men’s perceived stress on woman’s marital satisfaction was not significant (β=-0.138, P=0.096), women whose husbands had higher levels of stress were more likely to have poorer marital satisfaction. Both actor and partner effects of perceived stress on marital satisfaction were similar among men and their wives. Conclusion: The findings of this study have highlighted that marital satisfaction in patients with infertility was influenced by not only their own perceived stress, but also their spouses’ perceived stresses. Therefore, psychological interventions that target a reduction in perceived stress and enhancement of marital satisfaction in the context of infertility should treat the couple as a unit.
Authors and Affiliations
Saman Maroufizadeh, Mostafa Hosseini, Abbas Rahimi Foroushani, Reza Omani Samani, Payam Amini
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP469248
- DOI 10.22074/ijfs.2019.5437
- Views 157
- Downloads 0
Immune Aspects of Female Infertility
Immune infertility, in terms of reproductive failure, has become a serious health issue involving approximately 1 out of 5 couples at reproductive age. Semen that is defined as a complex fluid containing sperm, cellular...
Double Cervix with Normal Uterus and Vagina - An Unclassified Müllerian Anomaly
Müllerian anomalies are very common, and a frequent cause of infertility. The most used classification system until now, proposed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in 1988, categorizes comprehensively ute...
Significant Correlation between High-Risk HPV DNA in Semen and Impairment of Sperm Quality in Infertile Men
Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus that causes sexually transmitted infections (STI). Recent reports suggest that HPV may affect sperm parameters and lead to male infertility. This study aims to evalua...
The Genetics of Non-Syndromic Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: A Systematic Review
Several causes for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) have been described, including iatrogenic and environmental factor, viral infections, chronic disease as well as genetic alterations. The aim of this review was to c...
The Role of Residential Early Parenting Services in Increasing Parenting Confidence in Mothers with A History of Infertility
Background Mothers with a history of infertility may experience parenting difficulties and challenges. This study was conducted to investigate the role of residential early parenting services in increasing parenting conf...