The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting millions of individuals. Dealing with the psychological impacts of Covid-19, including depression, anxiety, and stress, can negatively impact one's relational experience, potentially lowering relationship satisfaction. This study aims to understand how distress caused by Covid-19 is related to relationship satisfaction and investigate the mediating role of dyadic coping. Using a sample of 233 individuals residing in Turkey who self-identified as being in a romantic relationship, this study found that the Covid-19 distress was negatively linked with relationship satisfaction, and individual's perception of dyadic coping mediated such relationship. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Exposure to child maltreatment in the family-of-origin has consistently been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in adulthood. Although the concept of a cycle of violence presumes that the transmission of violence is expressed directly across generations, some protective factors such as social support, self-esteem, and relationship quality with parents may ultimately be influential in nonviolent behavior in adult relationships. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data set, we tested protective factors to see if and to what extent they disrupted the association from early childhood maltreatment to experiencing violence later on in adult relationships. We found that there was a positive association between adolescence exposure to maltreatment and adult perpetration and victimization of IPV. Also, social support in adolescence was identified as a predictor of lower levels of violence in adult relationship. Clinical implications were discussed to help therapists intervene with adolescents in the hopes of reducing their propensity toward violent relationships in adulthood.
The current study set out to examine the influence of religiosity on the relationship between interracial Black-White (IBW) couples' perceived discrimination and marital satisfaction. Data from 178 Black-White couples were used to test a common fate moderation model. Results revealed a negative association between partners' perceived discrimination and marital satisfaction. Also, White partners' religiosity was found to moderate the effects of discrimination on satisfaction, whereby a higher level of religiosity contributed to higher satisfaction when couples experienced discrimination. Results suggested that religiosity may be an important resource to help Black-White couples manage discrimination stress.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has demonstrated efficacy in treating major depressive disorder. EMDR increases cerebral perfusion in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Activity in the ACC and dlPFC can be measured by theta cordance (TC) but has not been examined in EMDR. Ten participants (3 men, 7 women, M age = 42.31 +/- 15.03) received ten 75 +/- 15 minute EMDR sessions over 6.5 +/- .5 weeks. Results indicated that PHQ-9 depression scores reduced from T1 (M = 13.9 +/- 3.31) to T11 (M = 6.30 +/- 3.23) with EMDR (SMD = 2.30), and that fTC but not pfTC was significantly related to this change. Depression declined as fTC declined. EMDR may engage the dlPFC or ACC that modulates depression and aid in reducing fTC and thus depression levels.