Publications by authors named "Whisman M"

There is a long-standing interest in gender differences in satisfaction in intimate relationships. Whereas prior research has focused on gender differences in central tendency (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the connection between relationship distress and mental health issues, specifically focusing on how couples interact during conversations.
  • It analyzed the vocal emotional expressions (measured by fundamental frequency) of 404 couples, finding that those with more depression showed less vocal energy and reacted more to their partner's emotional cues.
  • The results indicate that relationship distress had a stronger impact on these vocal interactions than anxiety symptoms, suggesting that future research should explore how relationship issues influence individual mental health.
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Although extradyadic sex has been repeatedly shown to be inversely associated with relationship quality, researchers have rarely evaluated partners' beliefs (or suspicions) of such behavior and the degree to which relationship quality varies as a function of suspected extradyadic sex. This study examined, in a United States probability sample of couples (National Couples Survey; N = 236 couples), the (a) prevalence of cross-tabulations of wives' and husbands' reports of their own history of extramarital sex (i.e.

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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common psychiatric disorder that is associated with high levels of distress and impairment. The present study was conducted to examine the 10-year longitudinal associations between marital dissolution, three measures of marital quality, and GAD among married participants from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, a probability sample of American adults aged 24-74 years. Results indicated that GAD at baseline was significantly and positively associated with incidence of marital dissolution during the 10-year follow-up and marital strain (i.

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Although recent findings imply that marital distress and mental health symptoms are intertwined among military personnel, a prospective longitudinal study is needed to evaluate the bidirectionality of the link between marital distress and mental health symptoms across the deployment cycle. We investigated over time associations using data from the Pre-Post Deployment Study component of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). Married soldiers ( = 2,585) reported on their marital distress, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms 1 month before deploying to Afghanistan and 3 months and 9 months after they returned home.

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Background: Stress and marital dissatisfaction have been identified as risk factors for depression in separate lines of research. However, the interaction between stress and marital satisfaction in predicting depression over time has rarely been examined, despite the fact that marital satisfaction may weaken (i.e.

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Mixed-gender couples presenting for couple therapy are at 2-3 times higher risk for physical intimate partner violence (IPV) than community couples. However, it is unclear if this elevation of relative risk is the same in the general population because relationship distress and treatment-seeking are often confounded. We used archival data from three representative U.

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Individuals from different Spanish-speaking countries are often combined into a single Latino group. However, this group is diverse, with immigrants and naturalized citizens coming from multiple countries. The present study was conducted to (a) examine potential differences in the annual prevalence of extramarital sex as a function of cultural group (Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, or other Latino) and nativity (born inside or outside the United States) and (b) identify explanations for any observed differences in the prevalence of extramarital sex, drawing on known correlates of extramarital sex and other psychosocial constructs that may be associated with cultural group or nativity that could account for such associations.

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Objective: Prior research has found a positive association between the quality or adjustment of an individual's intimate relationship, such as marriage, and their physical health. However, it is possible that this association may be due, at least in part, to confounding variables (i.e.

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Sexual minority individuals experience depression at a disproportionately higher rate than their heterosexual peers. One predictor of depression is low romantic relationship satisfaction, and research on different-sex couples demonstrates that one's own and one's partner's levels of relationship satisfaction are negatively associated with one's own level of depressive symptoms (i.e.

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Objective: Inflammation is one biological pathway through which marital dissolution and marital discord may increase risk for chronic disease. The present study was conducted to investigate the cross-sectional association between marital dissolution, marital discord, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation, in a probability sample of Irish adults aged 50 years or older.

Method: Data were drawn from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

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Studies using probability samples have yielded cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between relationship dissolution and psychopathology, including depressive, anxiety, and substance use symptoms and disorders. The present review summarizes theory relevant to the association of relationship dissolution to psychopathology, discusses the time course over which postdissolution psychopathology may be most likely to manifest, and selectively reviews empirical findings regarding main and moderated associations between relationship dissolution and psychopathology. We conclude by acknowledging the need for continued study of the association between relationship dissolution and psychopathology, including research that rules out potential rival explanations (i.

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This brief review article discusses marital dissolution and health with a focus on two specific themes. First, we introduce and discuss the search for plausible causal pathways that link the end of marriage to distal health outcomes. Second, we suggest that the socioeconomic status disruptions that follow divorce represent a plausible causal pathway and emphasize the need for more psychological science in this area of study.

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Background: Lipoleiomyoma is a rare, benign variant of the commonplace uterine leiomyoma. Unlike leiomyoma, these tumors are composed of smooth muscle cells admixed with mature adipose tissue. While rare, they are most frequently identified in the uterus, but even more infrequently have been described in extrauterine locations.

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This article provides a critical review of existing research on intimate (marriage or marriage-like) relationship distress and risk for depression. Using the meta-framework of research triangulation, we seek to synthesize research evidence across several different methodologies and study designs and to draw the most reliable conclusion regarding a potential causal association between relationship distress and depression. Focusing on existing correlational (i.

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Objectives: To examine the associations between pleasant or reinforcing activities (as they relate to the behavioral theory of depression) and depressive symptoms across cultures.

Methods: We tested for differences in the strength of association between pleasant events and depressive symptoms in probability samples of adults from the United States (N = 619) and Japan (N = 232).

Results: Results indicate that frequency, enjoyment, and obtained pleasure from pleasant events were significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms for both American and Japanese adults, and these associations were significantly greater in magnitude for American adults relative to Japanese adults.

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Article Synopsis
  • Research highlights a connection between marital distress and various psychiatric disorders, but there is a lack of long-term studies specifically in military contexts.
  • This study focused on active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and found that marital distress at the start was linked to increased cases of major depressive episodes, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD five years later.
  • The findings suggest that addressing marital issues could be important in preventing or treating mental health problems in military personnel, indicating a need for couple-based interventions.
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Exposure to traumatic events has been associated with psychiatric symptoms and prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adolescents. This study was conducted to examine, in a U.S.

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The objectives of this study were to investigate actor and partner effects of the association between marital discord and depressive symptoms in a sample of 4,779 couples from 11 European countries that were divided into three groups (i.e., Northern, Central, Southern Europe), and evaluate the potential gender and cross-cultural invariance of this association.

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Soft-tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of rare mesenchymal malignancies accounting for only 1% of all solid adult malignancies. These have been categorized in 12 broad groups by the World Health Organization (WHO) with their recent update in 2013. Majority of them lack specific imaging features serving as imaging conundrums for a radiologist.

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Soft-tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of rare mesenchymal malignancies accounting for only 1% of all solid adult malignancies. These have been categorized in 12 broad groups by the World Health Organization (WHO) with their recent update in 2013. Majority of them lack specific imaging features serving as imaging conundrums for a radiologist.

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Background: According to the Response Styles Theory, rumination maintains and exacerbates depression. This study was conducted to examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations between rumination and depressive symptoms in a probability sample of Australian adults, evaluate the degree to which the strength of these longitudinal associations was moderated by gender, and test whether these longitudinal associations remained statistically significant when adjusting for the influence of demographic characteristics and neuroticism.

Methods: A probability sample of Australian adults (N = 5891) completed self-report measures of rumination, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms at baseline and rumination and depressive symptoms at a four-year follow-up.

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Although there is a well-established positive association between romantic relationship discord and depressive symptoms, there have been few studies assessing this association with sexual minority individuals, who are at increased risk for depression and whose relationships may be subjected to unique challenges (and strengths) given their sexual minority status. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between romantic relationship discord and depressive symptoms in sexual minority individuals using data from Project STRIDE, which is a longitudinal survey of 18-59 year-old residents of New York City. Data from 107 individuals in romantic relationships showed significant positive cross-sectional associations between relationship discord and depressive symptoms both at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up.

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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.

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