Marital discord causes and impact of counseling on married couples

Pages: 1013-1015
Alkesh Kumar (ARSH Counselor, General Hospital, Rohtak, Haryana)
Asha Rani (STI Counselor, General Hospital, Rohtak, Haryana)

The objective of the present study was to find out the causes of marital discord and positive impact of counseling on couples suffering from matrimonial disharmony and interpersonal relationship problems. This prospective study comprised of 250 married couples who were reported at Family Counseling Centre located in industrial town of Haryana. Eight variables such as, age, education, socio-economic status, job status, substance abuse, extra-marital affairs, domestic violence and loneliness, were taken into consideration. After counseling of 250 married couples, 103 (41.2%) cases were able to resolve their differences and continue their marital life in satisfactory manners. Substance abuse and domestic violence were observed in life of 40% married couples (99.5% males) as root cause. The rehabilitation and counseling worked on 50% cases where extramarital affairs (30%) and unemployment (25%) were the major causes and contributing factors of marital discord, which were resolved 27 and 35%, respectively. Loneliness, which was observed in 5% of the marital disharmony cases, was resolved 20% through counseling. This prospective study indicates a positive impact of counseling in 41.2% cases of marital discord. In case of educated and younger age couples belonging to low socioeconomic status, counseling was found to be more effective, whereas, drug addiction, extramarital affairs, lack of job satisfaction and domestic violence were identified as significant factors responsible for marital discords.