Impact of Marital Stress and Communication Quality on Marital Satisfaction: Basis for Proposed Couple Relationships Enhancement Program

Page: 333-339
Sebastian Ouseph1 and Lucila Ortiz Bance2 (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines1 and Department of Clinical Psychology, The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines2)

Marriage is an institution that forms man and woman into family life. Being in a happy marriage is fundamental requisite for married couples. Marital satisfaction of the couples is a crucial element for marital quality and stability of the family. Marital satisfaction is related to various factors such as marital stress and communication quality. Stress is inevitable in the everyday life of couples and it influences their marital satisfaction. Ineffective communication quality of couples reduces an overall sense of understanding, and closeness, and eventually leads to marital dissatisfaction. The study examined the impact of marital stress and communication quality on marital satisfaction, which is the basis for a proposed Couple Relationships Enhancement Program. Participants of this study consisted of 108 couples (N=216) of two to 10 years of marriage purposely selected from Kerala, India. This study utilized a mixed research design. The Stockholm Marital Stress Scale (SMSS), the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), and the Primary Communication Inventory (PCI) were used as measures of the study. The result of the study showed a strong negative correlation between marital stress and marital satisfaction (r= -.820, p < .01) whereas there is a strong positive correlation between marital communication quality and marital satisfaction (r= .927, p < .01), which were statistically significant. Marital stress and communication quality were significant predictor variables of marital satisfaction based on the regression model. The descriptive and correlational results of this study resolutely implicated the development of a couple's relationship enhancement program for enhancing marital satisfaction through effective communication skills and thereby reducing marital stress among young couples.