Vulnerability factors such as insecure attachment may have a lasting effect on the outcome of couples therapy, even long after discharge from treatment. Given that attachment has never been examined as an outcome predictor for couples therapy in the long term, the authors studied its effect on outcome during and after couples therapy. This prospective study included 71 inpatients participating ...

Research of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) has expanded dramatically in recent years, and many novel PPIs may be useful in couples therapy. The present work identifies, summarizes, and suggests adaptations of PPIs that may improve couples therapy outcomes. Each intervention is presented as part of a larger organizational framework that may help couples therapists determine how and whe...

This article identifies and operationalizes the newly defined construct of attachment injury. An attachment injury occurs when one partner violates the expectation that the other will offer comfort and caring in times of danger or distress. This incident becomes a clinically recurring theme and creates an impasse that blocks relationship repair in couples therapy. An attachment injury is charac...

The current study investigated trust's mediation of the relationship between depression and marital satisfaction in individuals who had or had not suffered a betrayal. Self-report measures assessing dyadic trust, depressive symptoms, marital adjustment, and presence of betrayal were administered to couples as part of a larger study of forgiveness and family functioning. In couples who had exper...

Background: Marital trust as a fiduciary relationship is very important for ensuring the continuity of married life, and identifying its factors are critical. Female nurses are prone to marital problems due to involvement in stressful jobs with different work shifts and long working hours. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of covert aggression in relationshi...

Sexual agreements, explicit mutual understandings made between two partners about which sexual and related behaviors they agree to engage in within and/or outside of their relationship, are common among male couples. However, little is known about the perceived rewards and challenges partnered men face in the process of forming a sexual agreement. Such knowledge may be useful for the developmen...

As part of a larger study to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a couples-based HIV-prevention intervention, we conducted formative in-depth interviews with 10 couples to explore topics such as challenges in practising safer sex, HIV-prevention strategies, gender power and violence, and issues of trust and infidelity. In this study, both men and women perceived infidelity as ubiquitou...