Despite growing evidence that loneliness is a global public health concern, much of the existing research remains concentrated in specific cultural contexts, limiting our understanding of how loneliness manifests across societies. This research explores cross-cultural variations of loneliness and its relations with life satisfaction and health-related behaviors among young adults in Germany and Japan. In a cross-sectional online study with N = 920 participants (340 from Germany, 580 from Japan), aged 18–30 years, significant differences were observed between the two samples, with the Japanese group reporting lower loneliness scores, while the German group showed higher life satisfaction and health behavior scores. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that the negative association between loneliness and both life satisfaction and health-related behaviors was not significantly moderated by culture. Similar trends emerged regarding the sociodemographic groups that were more likely to report higher loneliness scores in both countries, suggesting shared risk factors for loneliness across cultures. These findings highlight the importance of cross-cultural studies in loneliness research, especially for diverse cultural contexts beyond Western populations.
How people manage multiple, concurrent romantic and sexual partners may influence sexual health and wellbeing. We examined whether these outcomes differ between monogamous, consensually non-monogamous, and infidelity (i.e., non-consensually non-monogamous) relationships in a multinational online sample (Study 1; N = 888) and Finnish population-based data (Study 2; N = 10,503). In Study 1, women with multiple partners reported greater desire and satisfaction with their non-primary partners (vs. primary partners), and greater arousal with non-primary partners compared to monogamous women with their partners. Polyamorous individuals were more likely to have ever been tested for sexually transmitted infections but not more likely to have been diagnosed with one. In Study 2, non-monogamous men reported fewer early ejaculatory symptoms, and non-monogamous women reported higher sexual desire than monogamous participants. Both men and women in non-monogamous relationships reported greater desire for partnered sex. Across both studies, sexual functioning was largely similar between monogamous and non-monogamous participants. Infidelity was not associated with sexual health, apart from men who reported keeping emotional or sexual intimacies secret from their partners also reporting lower sexual satisfaction (Study 1). The results offer evidence that having multiple partners, whether consensual or not, may not necessarily compromise sexual health. Rather, men’s secrecy about extradyadic partners may be reflected in sexual dissatisfaction, but this effect does not extend to physiological or desire-based measures of sexual wellbeing.
Gwen John (1876–1939) is now widely considered one of the best Welsh artists, though in her lifetime she lived largely in the shadow of two flamboyant and highly successful male artists – her younger brother Augustus John and her older lover, the world-renowned sculptor, Auguste Rodin. The focus of this article is her obsessive, often tumultuous affair with Rodin which began when she was 28 and he was 64. The method used in the research is psychobiography, using psychological theory to probe behind the facts of her life as an artist in order to understand what sort of person she was and what motives and values lay behind the life choices she made. The article sets out the impact on Gwen of the loss of her mother when Gwen was eight, and her struggles to find an emotional equilibrium while at the Slade School of Fine Art. The main psychological theory used in the analysis is limerence, a comparatively new term which describes a state of manic love or total obsession with one’s lover. Her love affair with Rodin is set out in accordance with the five stages of limerence, which I call readiness, epiphany, addiction, dissipation and rebuilding. The study opens up a number of questions about obsessive love, including the dividing line between positive passion and harmful obsession and the possibility of a positive side to obsessive devotion.
Being liked and feeling included in social groups is important for one’s well-being and self-esteem. In addition, an accurate perception of one’s social relationship is a prerequisite for successfully managing social situations, especially in phases of social reorientation such as the first semester of university. The present, pre-registered research studies the longitudinal development of meta-liking accuracy and reciprocity in two cohorts of psychology freshmen ( N = 52 and N = 70) during the first semester of university. Our results indicate that students knew who specifically liked them and that this ability slightly increased from the first week to the end of the first semester. Furthermore, students expected to be and were indeed liked back when liking specific others. These findings provide an initial insight into the role of reciprocity for meta-liking accuracy and provide starting points for future research.
The aim of this manuscript is to analyse the intersection of intimacy – agape – spirituality in light of Origen’s biography, one of the greatest minds of the ancient Christian world, whose beliefs and works secured his lasting place in Western culture. Origen is known not only as the author of the theory of apocatastasis (the belief in the final salvation of all people, including even the greatest sinners as well as demons and the Devil) but also as the author of the original view of intimacy exceeding traditional model of gender and sexuality. At the age of 20, he castrated himself for religious reasons and in later years, he created a vision of ideal relationships based on a specific understanding of spiritual love, pushing genital sexuality beyond the margins of his personal and social life. In this regard, Origen presented one of the most radical and significant visions of agape, which to this day has a profound influence on the perception of the human body and sexuality. The article demonstrates that Origen’s experience reveals, hidden in the cliché of religious concepts, a search for a solution to a universal human problem: the need to go beyond the definition of love/intimacy understood in bodily-sensual and primarily binary terms. The first part of the manuscript presents Origen’s biography and his vision intimacy, agape and spirituality. The second part analyses the problematic aspects of such an understanding of love, which on the one hand can lead to the spiritualisation of intimacy and sexuality, and on the other, paradoxically, to the eroticisation of spirituality. The conclusions of the proposed study seem to be essential for a better understanding of the subtle dimensions of our sexual activity. They may also prove helpful in therapeutic practice where spirituality collides with the realm of sexual activity.
We report results of an empirical study that used family communication patterns (FCPs) theory and the communication theory of resilience (CTR) to examine the experience of, and responses to, homesickness. Specifically, we tested the extent to which conversation and conformity orientations predicted resilience responses, both linearly and curvilinearly, as well as whether homesickness mediated the association between FCPs and resilience. Data were collected from a racially diverse sample of 321 participants across two universities. Results supported the mediation model, finding that homesickness is associated with diminished resilience responses of adapting, reframing, and using identity anchors. Regarding FCPs, homesickness was notably low, and resilience responses notably high, when participants reported heightened conversation orientation along with a moderate level of conformity orientation. We consider whether this might serve as evidence of a fifth family type not yet identified in FCPs theorizing.
Camille Rosalie Claudel (1864–1940) was an icon of French sculpting in the 19th and 20th century, while Gwendolen Mary John (1876–1939) was a famous Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her life. Claudel’s and John’s lives were strongly influenced by their brothers, who were both more famous during their lifetime than their artist sisters, and by their troubled love affairs with their mentor and lover, Auguste Rodin, the world-famous French sculptor. Both female artists expressed their inner life and their search for meaning and love in their artworks. Their love for Rodin sparked both creativity and self-destruction. The article explores and compares their love for Rodin in terms drawn from the work of Murray Bowen (1978), especially differentiation of self and relationship triangles. The psychobiographical approach adopted here is anchored to a hermeneutic–interpretivist research paradigm and is comparative in nature. The love of the two female artists is presented in the context of late 19th and early 20th century French life and art through the specifically described theoretical lens. Following the research findings, suggestions for further research are made.
This study examines the evolution of love and relational attachment in the life of Müslüm Gürses (1953–2013), a seminal figure in Turkish popular culture whose biography offers a profound lens into the intersection of personal trauma and devotion. Grounded exclusively in Object Relations Theory, the research explores how Gürses’ early experiences of fragmented primary relationships and maternal/paternal loss shaped his subsequent psychological conceptualization of love, both in his private life and his public persona as “Müslüm Baba” (Father Müslüm). Adopting a qualitative psychobiographical design, the study utilizes a comprehensive analysis of biographical materials and developmental milestones, supplemented by the thematic analysis of his core song lyrics. The findings reveal that love in Gürses’ life operated not merely as a romantic pursuit but as a “reparative” and “compensatory” mechanism driven by object-seeking. Through this psychic lens, the analysis demonstrates how Gürses functioned as a stable, containing object for his audience, transforming personal relational trauma into a collective, devotion-based love characterized by mutual emotional containment. By focusing strictly on the psychobiographical development of love amid adversity, this study illustrates how an individual’s internal object world can bridge personal trauma and universal devotion, offering distinct insights into the dynamics of love and personality within specific cultural contexts.
When people think about their former romantic relationships, they often recall themselves as having been insecure in those relationships. It is possible that those former relationships were, in fact, insecure. But it is also possible that people have a bias to see former relationships in a way that is more insecure than might be warranted. To evaluate these possibilities, in Study 1 we first demonstrated that people do, in fact, consider themselves more insecure in former versus current relationships. In Study 2 we analyzed prospective data from people who eventually would experience a breakup but had not yet. We found that their relationships were more insecure than relationships that did not end, suggesting that part of the difference is due to differences in insecurity while relationships were ongoing. In Study 3, we found that retrospective reports of former relationships were higher in attachment avoidance than should be expected based on prospective data on insecurity. Taken together, these findings suggest that people likely have a bias to see their former relationships as more avoidant than is warranted.
Although ghosting (i.e., ending a relationship by cutting off contact) is a common form of social rejection across multiple social contexts and has been studied in countries across the globe, there have been no systematic comparisons of how people may differ in their ghosting knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors across countries. In two cross-national studies spanning 12 countries, we examine whether people know of ghosting as a rejection strategy for ending friendships and romantic relationships, are accepting of it, intend to use it in the future, and have used it in the past. In Study 1 ( N = 885), we collected data from Canada ( n = 146), Kenya ( n = 140), Mexico ( n = 145), Nigeria ( n = 148), South Africa ( n = 156), and the United States ( n = 150). In Study 2 ( N = 1,741), we collected data from Brazil ( n = 236), Ghana ( n = 243), India ( n = 236), Indonesia ( n = 267), Kenya ( n = 240), the Philippines ( n = 257), and Ukraine ( n = 262). Across both studies, we find that ghosting is a widely known form of social rejection across many countries, but that there are clear country-based differences in how people feel about it, whether they intend to use it, and whether they have used it previously in ending friendships and romantic relationships.
The current research examined the underlying mechanisms by which attachment insecurities negatively impact romantic relationship quality, from the perspective of trait mindfulness and relationship mindfulness. Study 1 ( N = 234) tested whether trait mindfulness mediated the link between attachment insecurities and relationship satisfaction, but found no mediation effect. Study 2 ( N = 286), a dyadic design, examined relationship mindfulness as a mediator and found that it mediated the link between individuals’ own attachment insecurities and relationship satisfaction. Additionally, women’s relationship mindfulness mediated the effect of men’s attachment insecurities on women’s relationship satisfaction. Study 3 ( N = 276) extended these findings, demonstrating that relationship mindfulness mediated the link between attachment avoidance and relationship quality, even when controlling for trait mindfulness. Although cross-sectional, findings across the three studies suggest that relationship mindfulness may be key for understanding relationship functioning. Implications for theory, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Social disconnection represents a growing public health concern. While Behavioral Activation (BA), an evidence-based intervention that reduces behavioral withdrawal by increasing engagement in meaningful activities, demonstrates efficacy for depression, its potential for enhancing social connection remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize current evidence for BA’s impact on social connection and develop a conceptual framework explaining potential mechanisms among individuals across all ages. Following PRISMA guidelines, electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and PubMed Central) were searched for studies published between January 2015 and June 2024 that met the following inclusion: (1) randomized controlled trial or pre-post studies that used BA as a standalone or core intervention component; and (2) reported social connection (functional, structural, and quality-related measures) as a primary or secondary outcome. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed quality of the studies. Narrative synthesis was used to synthesize the data. Eight studies met inclusion. BA delivered via telehealth with coaching support produced the strongest and sustained effects. BA improved functional dimensions of social connection (loneliness, perceived support) consistently. One study in residential care settings showed null effects, suggesting environmental/contextual moderators may be important. BA shows promise as an intervention for social disconnection, particularly for reducing loneliness and enhancing perceived support. The conceptual framework proposed in this review has identified five potential mechanisms: increased social reinforcement, environmental enrichment, value-based social actions, reduced avoidance, and enhanced social self-efficacy. BA’s adaptability suggests potential for scalable implementation. However, limited structural and quality outcome assessment and measurement heterogeneity limit definitive conclusions. Future research should employ comprehensive social connection measures, test proposed mechanisms, and optimize BA protocols specifically for social connection.
Attachment injuries in romantic relationships are increasingly recognized as significant relational traumas, yet existing literature lacks a comprehensive framework for understanding their traumatic sequelae. While traditionally viewed through an attachment theory lens alone, emerging evidence suggests these injuries may trigger symptom patterns consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PsycINFO, MEDLINE/PubMed, JSTOR, and Scopus databases for English-language qualitative studies published between January 2000 and January 2025. Studies examining subjective experiences of attachment injuries, relational betrayals, or breaches of trust in romantic relationships were included. Quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Framework synthesis methodology was employed to map findings against the complex PTSD framework. Twelve qualitative studies ( N = 207 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Attachment injuries were mapped to four distinct symptom clusters mirroring complex PTSD: (1) severe affect dysregulation characterized by intense emotional responses and grief; (2) persistent negative self-beliefs, including diminished self-worth and pervasive self-doubt; (3) persistent difficulties sustaining relationships extending beyond the original injury; and (4) classic PTSD symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. The most common triggers were infidelity (5 studies), pregnancy/child-rearing conflicts (4 studies), and pornography/sexual addiction disclosure (3 studies). However, significant gender bias (73.8% female participants) and cultural homogeneity (83% North American samples) limit generalizability. This review adds to the evidence that attachment injuries constitute a distinct form of relational trauma and offers an integrated attachment-trauma conceptualization. These findings can open new possibilities in how clinicians assess and treat attachment injuries, emphasizing the need for phase-based interventions that address trauma symptomatology alongside relational repair.
The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) has become a foundational framework for analyzing dyadic data, but systematic reviews synthesizing how longitudinal APIM has been applied across disciplines and populations are limited. This systematic review examined 73 longitudinal APIM studies published between 2008 and 2025, analyzing methodological practices, analytical strategies, and population diversity. Studies were included if they used APIM as the primary framework, reported both actor and partner effects, included a minimum of 70 dyads, and employed longitudinal designs exceeding one year. Data were extracted on study characteristics, sample demographics, APIM variants, statistical approaches, and methodological transparency indicators. Results revealed a fivefold increase in publications after 2016, with applications spanning psychology (37.0%), family science (31.5%), and gerontology (12.3%). However, substantial gaps emerged in three areas. First, geographic and population concentration was evident: 58.9% of studies originated from North America, 86.3% examined couple dyads, and 75.3% utilized secondary data from established panels. Second, methodological transparency showed inconsistency: only 17.8% reported power analyses, 24.7% did not report missing data strategies, and 35.6% failed to document model constraints. Third, universal self-report reliance with minimal multi-method assessment (16.4%) limits distinguishing genuine interpersonal influence from shared method variance. Despite these gaps, nearly all studies were hypothesis-driven, typically articulating a priori expectations regarding actor and partner pathways, and researchers increasingly acknowledged limitations regarding power (37.0%) and self-report reliance (65.8%). Future advances require integrating a priori power analysis using dyadic-specific tools, employing multi-method designs, diversifying populations beyond Western heterosexual couples, and enhancing reporting transparency through preregistration and comprehensive model specification.
This study tested a portion of relational turbulence theory with 58 highly under-resourced Latina/o/x/e couples navigating migration-based family separation (i.e., where one partner migrated to the United States, while the other remained in a Latin American country, most often with their children). Couples completed pre- and post-conversation surveys and participated in an audio-recorded phone conversation discussing their experiences. Actor-partner interdependence mediation models (APIMeM) showed that pre-conversation self and partner uncertainty were positively related to post-conversation perceived partner disconnection (biased cognitive appraisals), which in turn was related to less openness about separation stress (communicative engagement) for partners in Latin America. Further, partner and relationship uncertainty of U.S.-based partners were indirectly related to less openness among partners in Latin America, highlighting the interdependent nature of partners’ relational experiences. Familismo only moderated one of the tested associations. Findings extend RTT’s applicability to this structurally and culturally distinct context and point to the urgency of providing stratified support for families facing systemically driven relational stress.
In this study, we investigate deceptive/reluctant support (D/RS), which we define as verbal and nonverbal supportive communication that is communicated unwillingly (i.e., hesitantly or against their wishes), does not align with support providers’ true feelings or beliefs (i.e., disingenuous or inauthentic), or both. In addition, relational norms and patterns of behavior specific to providers' relationships with support recipients were central to their D/RS experiences. By analyzing 22 semi-structured, narrative-focused interviews, we offer novel conceptualizations for how D/RS manifests in relationships. Our analysis indicated three defining features of D/RS: unwillingness , dishonesty , and norms . Additionally, our results provided insight into complicating contextual factors that further nuance D/RS: fear of repercussions , justification , values , networks , and isolation . This research offers insight into how support providers engage in D/RS, which could be an intermediate step between offering positive support and choosing to disengage as a support provider. Moreover, understanding how providers navigate challenges when communicating support is key as scholars strive to understand what creates satisfying supportive relationships.
Romantic relationships and socioeconomic resources are both well-established predictors of health and wellbeing, yet their effects have not often been examined simultaneously as primary predictors. This study investigated the relative contributions of relationship quality and socioeconomic status (SES) to life satisfaction, physical health, and mental health across two national contexts that differ in social structure and welfare systems. Demographically stratified national samples from the United States ( n = 1,004) and Spain ( n = 969) completed measures of relationship satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness, and multiple SES indicators. Linear regression analyses showed that higher levels of relationship satisfaction and perceived partner responsiveness were robustly associated with greater life satisfaction, better physical health, and fewer mental health symptoms in both countries, even after accounting for SES. Subjective SES also predicted all outcomes in both countries, above and beyond the effects of relationship quality. However, objective SES indicators showed country-specific patterns: education consistently predicted outcomes in the U.S. but not in Spain, and income predicted some outcomes in the U.S., but effects were weaker and less consistent than for education. Together, these findings show that relationship quality is a robust predictor of health and wellbeing across contexts, whereas the impact of socioeconomic status seems to depend on the broader structural environments.
Previous research has demonstrated substantial relational, mental and physical health benefits associated with affectionate touch in romantic relationships; however, given ongoing stigmatization, it remains unclear whether these benefits are readily available to individuals in interracial relationships. We conducted an online survey assessing public affection sharing practices of those in White relationships (i.e., both partners White; n = 1119) versus interracial relationships (i.e., here, one partner White, the other racialized; n = 267). Both types of couples engaged in public affection sharing equally frequently; however, those in interracial relationships perceived less support from others for doing so. Overall, engaging in affectionate touch with one’s partner in public was associated with better relational, mental, and physical well-being, but those associations were weaker or even non-significant for individuals in interracial relationships. Discussion focuses on ongoing challenges in affection sharing among those in interracial relationships, including managing trade-offs between potential stigmatization if they engage in public affection-sharing and potential visual dislocation (i.e., failing to be perceived as a romantic couple) if they do not.
Mothers with young children were particularly susceptible to elevated stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined dynamic, reciprocal, longitudinal relationships between maternal perceived stress, perceived relationship quality with the partner, and mother-to-child bonding. The sample consisted of n = 1,394 mothers of children aged 0 to 3 years who completed online questionnaires at three time points between May 2020 to May 2022. We analyzed a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model with maternal stress, relationship quality with the partner, and mother-to-child bonding, enabling the separation of stable between-person differences and dynamic within-person processes. At the between-person level, lower partner relationship quality was associated with higher average stress (r = -.20) and impaired mother-to-child bonding (r = -.29), while stress and impaired bonding were strongly correlated (r = .56). At the within-person level, increases in partner relationship quality predicted intraindividual decreases in stress (beta T1 -> T2 = -.19; beta T2 -> T3 = -.21) and, at trend level, decreases in impaired bonding (beta T1 -> T2 = -.15; beta T2 -> T3 = -.16). The results demonstrate the interrelation of stable components of maternal stress, relationship quality, and bonding. Additionally, they highlight the dynamic role of the maternal perceived relationship quality with the partner in shaping maternal stress and bonding, positioning relationship quality as a resilience (or risk) factor for maternal well-being during crises. An exploratory model including sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables further showed that factors such as maternal education, income, family size, and work changes significantly shaped baseline stress and relational functioning. Hence, support services should focus on strengthening the relationship with the partner while being tailored to families' structural contexts to mitigate stress, promote bonding, and prevent adverse consequences for mothers, children, and families.
This study examines how persons with disabilities in Kashmir experience and negotiate romantic relationships within a socio-cultural context structured by patriarchy, collectivism, and ableism. Despite growing scholarship on disability in South Asia, the intimate and affective dimensions of disabled lives remain underexplored, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 15) and written narratives ( n = 5) resulted in the analysis of data from 20 participants with physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities. Reflexive thematic analysis identified five central themes: Yearning and the Right to Love; Love Found, Love Fought; Rejection, Pity, and Prejudice; Self-Image and Internalized Ableism; and Hope, Healing, and Collective Agency. Findings indicate that disabled individuals’ desires are frequently dismissed, surveilled, or framed as burdensome, yet participants also reclaimed intimacy through creative expression, digital communities, and collective support. These narratives reveal how romantic longing, often regarded as illegitimate for persons with disabilities, can itself constitute resistance to ableist cultural scripts. The study contributes to disability scholarship by situating romantic life within a politically sensitive and culturally conservative setting, underscoring the need for rights-based approaches that recognize emotional and relational inclusion as integral to policy and practice.
