Extramarital Sex and Marital Dissolution: Does Identity of the Extramarital Partner Matter?

Panel data from married adults (N = 1,853) in the General Social Survey, a probability sample of the adult household population of the United States, were used to evaluate (a) the longitudinal association between extramarital sex and marital dissolution 2 years later, (b) whether probability of marital dissolution differed as a function of the type of relationship people reported having with their extramarital sex partner, and (c) the degree to which these associations were incremental to participants' level of marital satisfaction at baseline. Compared to people who reported not engaging in extramarital sex, those who reported engaging in extramarital sex at baseline were significantly more likely to be separated or divorced 2 years later. Furthermore, the association between having extramarital sex with a close personal friend and marital dissolution was particularly strong. These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for marital satisfaction. Results suggest that the identity of the extramarital sex partner and the type of relationship a person has with him or her has important implications for probability of marital dissolution above and beyond the contribution of marital satisfaction.

Se utilizaron los datos de panel de adultos casados (N = 1,853) de la Encuesta Social General (General Social Survey), una muestra probabilística de la población de hogares de adultos de los Estados Unidos, para evaluar (a) la asociación longitudinal entre las relaciones sexuales extramatrimoniales y el divorcio dos años después, (b) si la probabilidad de divorcio difirió como una función del tipo de relación que las personas informaron tener con su pareja de relaciones sexuales extramatrimoniales y (c) el grado en el cual estas asociaciones aumentaron según el nivel de satisfacción matrimonial de los participantes al inicio del estudio. En comparación con las personas que informaron no tener relaciones sexuales extramatrimoniales, aquellos que sí informaron tener relaciones extramatrimoniales al comienzo del estudio tuvieron muchas más probabilidades de estar separados o divorciados dos años después. Además, la asociación entre tener relaciones sexuales extramatrimoniales con un amigo íntimo personal y el divorcio fue particularmente fuerte. Estas asociaciones continuaron siendo estadísticamente significativas después de ajustar teniendo en cuenta la satisfacción conyugal. Los resultados sugieren que la identidad de la pareja extramatrimonial y el tipo de relación que una persona tiene con ella repercuten considerablemente en la probabilidad de divorcio más allá del aporte de la satisfacción matrimonial.

Couples in arms: Marital distress, psychopathology, and suicidal ideation in active-duty Army personnel.

Although distress in intimate relationships such as marriage is positively associated with psychiatric symptoms and disorders and suicidal ideation in probability samples of the civilian population in the United States, relatively little is known regarding these associations in probability samples of active-duty military personnel. The present study evaluated the association between marital distress and past-30-day prevalence of psychiatric disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders) and suicidal ideation in a sample of 8,669 married active-duty soldiers in the U.S. Army who participated in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). Results indicated that marital distress was significantly and positively associated with past-30-day prevalence of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorder, as well as past-30-day prevalence of suicidal ideation. These associations were incremental to shared associations with demographics and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The findings support continued research on the association between relationship distress and psychopathology in active-duty service personnel, and suggest the potential utility of adapting existing, evidence-based couple interventions for the prevention and treatment of psychopathology or relationship distress, currently in use in veteran and civilian settings, for use with active-duty military personnel and their partners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Specificity of the Association between Marital Discord and Longitudinal Changes in Symptoms of Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

This longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate actor and partner effects of marital discord on changes in symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a large population sample of Irish adults (N = 1,445 couples), adjusting for the potential confounds of quality of other social relationships and other psychopathology symptoms. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine actor and partner effects of marital discord on changes in symptoms of depression and GAD at a 2-year follow-up. Additional models examined these associations adjusting for family and friend discord and symptoms of the other type of psychopathology (depressive or GAD symptoms). Actor effects of marital discord on depressive and anxiety symptoms were greater for men than for women. There were significant, positive actor effects of marital discord on depressive symptoms for husbands and wives, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend discord and GAD symptoms. There were significant, positive actor effects of marital discord on GAD symptoms for husbands, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend discord and depressive symptoms. Results demonstrate that longitudinal associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms (for wives and husbands) and GAD symptoms (for husbands) are incremental to other rival explanations (family and friend discord and the other set of symptoms). Findings provide evidence for a potential causal association leading from marital discord to symptoms of depression and GAD.

Suicidal Ideation among Women Court-Referred to Batterer Intervention Programs.

Identifying the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation in women mandated to batterer intervention programs is necessary to prevent suicide in this greatly understudied population. This study used cross-sectional, self-report survey methodology to identify the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among 79 women attending batterer intervention programs. Thirty-three percent of the sample reported experiencing suicidal ideation during the two weeks prior to entering the program. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that, while controlling for number of batterer intervention sessions attended, symptoms of depression and borderline personality disorder, but not symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, were associated with suicidal ideation.

Attitudes toward and prevalence of extramarital sex and descriptions of extramarital partners in the 21st century.

Using the most recent nine waves of data from the General Social Survey, which consists of in-person interviews of independent probability samples of the adult household population of the United States, the purposes of this study were to (a) provide descriptive information on adults' attitudes toward extramarital sex, lifetime and annual prevalence of extramarital sex among ever-married adults, and the identity of the extramarital sex partner(s) of currently married adults; (b) evaluate temporal trends in attitudes toward and prevalence of extramarital sex from 2000 to 2016; and (c) test for gender differences in attitudes toward and prevalence of extramarital sex and descriptions of the extramarital partner. The percentages of Americans who reported that extramarital sex was always wrong significantly declined from 2000 to 2016, whereas the percentage who reported it was wrong only sometimes significantly increased. There was a statistically significant linear decline in reported lifetime prevalence of extramarital sex from 2000 (17.8%) to 2016 (16.3%), whereas there was no statistically significant change in reported annual prevalence of extramarital sex (3.0%). People most commonly reported having extramarital sex with a close personal friend (53.5%) or neighbor, coworker, or long-term acquaintance (29.4%). Compared with women, men were (a) less likely to report that extramarital sex was always wrong and more likely to view it as almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all; (b) more likely to report past-year and lifetime extramarital sex; and (c) more likely to report extramarital sex with someone they knew casually. (PsycINFO Database Record