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Discrepant substance use and marital functioning in newlywed couples.

P Mudar1, K E Leonard, K Soltysinski

  • 1Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|April 17, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Discrepancies in substance use between spouses significantly impact marital quality. When one partner heavily drinks or uses drugs, both report lower relationship satisfaction, especially during the transition to marriage.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Marital Studies
  • Substance Use Research

Background:

  • Marital functioning is influenced by various factors, including partner behaviors.
  • Substance use (smoking, drinking, drug use) is a common behavior within relationships.
  • Understanding the impact of differing substance use patterns on marital quality is crucial, particularly during the critical transition to marriage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the implications of discrepant husband and wife substance use on relationship quality.
  • To investigate how differing patterns of smoking, drinking, and drug use affect marital satisfaction at the start of a marriage.

Main Methods:

  • Surveyed 642 couples newly entering their first marriage.
  • Utilized separate, self-administered questionnaires completed by each partner at home.

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  • Analyzed data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use patterns.

    • Main Results:

    • Couples where only one partner reported heavy drinking or drug use experienced significantly lower marital quality.
    • This effect was observed for both husbands and wives reporting lower relationship satisfaction.
    • Interactions between husband and wife use were not significant for cigarette use, alcohol use, or regular drinking, suggesting discrepancies in deviant behaviors are key.

    Conclusions:

    • Discrepancies in substance use behaviors, particularly heavy drinking and drug use, are strongly associated with reduced marital quality.
    • The configuration of partners' substance use patterns, rather than just individual use, is critical to marital functioning.
    • These findings highlight the importance of addressing substance use differences for relationship success during the transition to marriage.