Research Methods - Marriage and Stress

This report analyzes ten empirical studies on the correlation between marriage and stress. It explores the impact of stress on relationship satisfaction, depression, and other factors.

Running head: RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
Research Methods – Marriage and Stress
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
1. Suicide, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Marriage as a Protective Factor – The Case
of Military Veterans...................................................................................................................2
2. Same Sex Marriage and the Stress brought on by the Minority Status of Same Sex
Married Couples.........................................................................................................................3
3. Understanding the Correlation between Stress, Depression and Marriage........................3
4. Impact of Stress on Relationship Satisfaction....................................................................4
5. Maintenance and Satisfaction Issues in Marriage and Long Distance Relationships.........4
6. Impact of Civil Marriage on Stress Levels in Same Sex Partnerships...............................4
8. Stress, Negative Relationships and Marriage among Older Couples.................................5
9. Stress among Female Immigrant Wives in Korea..............................................................6
10. Stress Levels of Spouses of Deployed Servicemen versus Stress Levels of Spouses of
Non Deployed Servicemen........................................................................................................6
Conclusion - Gaps in Literature Reviewed................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

2RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
Introduction
The co-relation between marriage and stress has been an intriguing area of study and
research for scholars around the world. While in some instances, the institution of marriage is
seen to induce stress. In other instances, it is seen to bring down stress levels by a
considerable degree, providing the person who is at the receiving end of stress with the solace
and comfort that is needed to live a quality and constructive life. This report analyzes ten
empirical studies that have been carried out on the subject of marriage and stress in the last
four years. After reviewing the literature, some of the gaps that can be noted in the literature
that is reviewed, are discussed in detailing, pointing to further areas where research work can
be undertaken in the future.
1. Suicide, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Marriage as a Protective Factor –
The Case of Military Veterans
Weisenhorn et al. (2016), have conducted a study on how post traumatic stress
disorder is a condition that can claim the lives of military veterans, and how marriage can
prove to be a protective factor in this respect. The study that was carried out by Weisenhorn
et al. (2016), reveals that military veterans who are married are far less likely to commit
suicide as a result of post traumatic stress disorder compared to military veterans who are not.
The research was carried out by conducting in depth personal interviews with military
personnel over the phone and in person, after seeking prior consent and approval from them.
The findings of the research study lead Weisenhorn et al. (2016), to conclude that marriage
serves as a protective factor for combating stress and strain among military veterans.

3RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
2. Same Sex Marriage and the Stress brought on by the Minority Status of Same
Sex Married Couples
Rostoksy et al. (2016), have conducted research on the subject of same sex marriage and the
stress that is brought upon by the minority status of same sex married couples. Same sex
couples in the age group between thirty seven and eighty four years of age were interviewed
for the study, with social validation and legal protection emerging as the two main pre-
requisites for same sex married couples to lead a happy and quality life. Minority stress
experiences were those that emerged as well when the couples were interviewed and asked
questions about long term commitment issues, the participation of such couples in activist
efforts and the availability of the institution of civil marriage among other things. The
researchers conclude that the minority status of same sex married couples causes multiple
stress for them, especially over the long term rather than in the short term.
3. Understanding the Correlation between Stress, Depression and Marriage
Beam et al. (2017), have carried out a very interesting study on the correlation
between depression, stress and the institution of marriage. According to them, marriage is
something that is associated with depressive symptoms as well as perceived stress, and for
the authors, the two constructs were found to have been influenced by a considerable extent
by a number of common genetics. As many as 1612 female and male twin pairs were
interviewed for the study, all of whom hailed from the city of Washington DC. Stress
buffering role associated with marriage was tested among married couples and non married
individuals. The results of the study reveal that for women at least, marriage is something that
helps in bringing down stress levels considerably with the access to a partner or spouse
reducing the genetic effects that perceived stress is seen to have on depressive symptoms.

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4. Impact of Stress on Relationship Satisfaction
Randall and Bodenmann (2016), have conducted a study on stress and the association that
this has with relationship satisfaction, including the satisfaction that comes from being in a
marriage. According to the authors stress appears to be something that they term as a dyadic
phenomenon, which tends to affect people who are involved in romantic relationships
including marriage. Stress in their view can originate both within the relationship as well as
outside of it, external stress sometimes spilling over into a marriage or relationship thus
creating a lot of internal stress in the bargain. The authors conclude from the research study
that stress is something that affects negatively both same sex couples and heterosexual
couples, preventing them from being as satisfied in the relationship as they could be.
5. Maintenance and Satisfaction Issues in Marriage and Long Distance
Relationships
Lavner and Bradbury (2019), have carried out in depth research on trajectories as well as
the matter of maintenance that can be detected in long term relationships and in marriage.
The authors argue that while married couples tend to begin their journeys with optimism for
the most part, and although many couples tend to enjoy long years of a happy married life,
marital satisfaction is something that is seen to decline on an average in course of time, with
marriages tending to dissolve within an average period of ten years. Such disparate outcomes
in the views of the authors, compel them to raise the questions as to why marriages change in
course for time and for whom.
6. Impact of Civil Marriage on Stress Levels in Same Sex Partnerships
Riggle et al. (2016), have studied the impact that civil marriage is seen to have on the
lives of same sex couples. The authors interviewed as many as three hundred and seven
people who were engaged in civil same sex marriage and fifty people who were gay and in a

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relationship but who did not enjoy the legal status of a civil marriage. What the authors found
in the course of their research was that issues such as discrimination, identity crisis and low
self esteem or sense of status was far less among same sex couples who were in a civil
marriage compared to couples who were not in a marriage at all but who were engaged in a
same sex relationship with each other.
7. Acculturative Stress as a factor in the Married Lives of Mexican Immigration
Wives
Rodriguez et al. (2014), have studied the role that stress has to play in the lives of
Mexican immigrant wives and how such stress affects the quality of their lives as well as the
quality of life of the spouse. The researchers studied a hundred and twenty couples of
Mexican origin who are currently living in the United States of America. It was found by the
researchers that Mexican wives who work alongside their husbands in the US are less likely
to be stressed or to suffer from acculturative stress, and are more likely to enjoy a good
quality life compared to those who do not, given that the challenges of going ahead and
adapting to an entirely new life in the USA are many.
8. Stress, Negative Relationships and Marriage among Older Couples
Birditt et al. (2015), have carried out a research study on how negative relationships
among married couples who are older in age, such as in their middle age, can trigger matters
such as stress and even physical problems like high blood pressure and a number of
cardiovascular ailments. According to the researchers, the effects of negative relationship
quality and stress are dyadic and tend to be varied on the basis of gender. When wives are
stressed for example, the levels of blood pressure in husbands tend to be go up by a
considerable degree.

6RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
9. Stress among Female Immigrant Wives in Korea
Park et al. (2015), have studied the impact of stress on married immigrant wives in the
country of Korea. 190 female immigrant wives were interviewed for the research study, who
hailed from countries such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines and some other countries of
Asia. Convenient sample was used to select the sample for the research study, with both
interviews and surveys being undertaken for the research. It was found by the authors that
stress levels appear to be higher among female immigrant wives in Korea who are raising
children compared to those who are not.
10. Stress Levels of Spouses of Deployed Servicemen versus Stress Levels of Spouses
of Non Deployed Servicemen
Burton et al. (2008), have compared the levels of stress experienced by spouses of
deployed servicemen with the spouses of servicemen who are not deployed any longer. It was
found by the researchers that the spouses of people who are currently deployed in service
suffer from higher levels of stress compared to spouses whose partners are not in a service
any longer, largely because of the absence of work pressure, among other factors.
Conclusion - Gaps in Literature Reviewed
Although the literature reviewed above reveals that stress can be generated quite
easily in a married relationship among heterosexual and same sex couples alike, further and
sufficient research needs to be conducted on how stress can be managed within a marital
relationship or how stress within a marital relationship can be averted altogether.

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References
Beam, C. R., Dinescu, D., Emery, R., & Turkheimer, E. (2017). A twin study on perceived
stress, depressive symptoms, and marriage. Journal of health and social
behavior, 58(1), 37-53.
Birditt, K. S., Newton, N. J., Cranford, J. A., & Ryan, L. H. (2015). Stress and negative
relationship quality among older couples: Implications for blood pressure. Journals of
Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 71(5), 775-785.
Burton, Tracy, David Farley, and Anthony Rhea. "Stress‐induced somatization in spouses of
deployed and nondeployed servicemen." Journal of the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners 21.6 (2009): 332-339.
Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2019). TRAJECTORIES AND MAINTENANCE IN
MARRIAGE AND LONG-TERM COMMITTED RELATIONSHIPS. New
Directions in the Psychology of Close Relationships.
Park, M. H., Yang, S. J., & Chee, Y. K. (2016). The revised stress measurement of female
marriage immigrants in Korea: Evaluation of the psychometric properties. Women &
health, 56(4), 395-412.
Randall, A. K., & Bodenmann, G. (2017). Stress and its associations with relationship
satisfaction. Current opinion in psychology, 13, 96-106.
Riggle, E. D., Wickham, R. E., Rostosky, S. S., Rothblum, E. D., & Balsam, K. F. (2017).
Impact of civil marriage recognition for long-term same-sex couples. Sexuality
Research and Social Policy, 14(2), 223-232.

8RESEARCH METHODS – MARRIAGE AND STRESS
Rodriguez, Y., Helms, H. M., Supple, A. J., & Hengstebeck, N. D. (2016). Mexican
Immigrant Wives’ Acculturative Stress and Spouses’ Marital Quality: The Role of
Wives’ Marriage Work With Husbands and Close Friends. Journal of Family
Issues, 37(12), 1678-1702.
Rostosky, S. S., Riggle, E. D., Rothblum, E. D., & Balsam, K. F. (2016). Same-sex couples’
decisions and experiences of marriage in the context of minority stress: Interviews
from a population-based longitudinal study. Journal of homosexuality, 63(8), 1019-
1040
Weisenhorn, D. A., Frey, L. M., van de Venne, J., & Cerel, J. (2017). Suicide exposure and
posttraumatic stress disorder: is marriage a protective factor for veterans?. Journal of
child and family studies, 26(1), 161-167