Benefit finding and relationship quality in Parkinson's disease: a pilot dyadic analysis of husbands and wives

Parkinson's disease (PD) significantly impacts both patients' and spouses' emotional and physical health. However, despite the importance of social relationships for wellbeing, few studies have examined relationship quality and their correlates in individuals with PD and their partners. Specifically, no known studies have examined the association between benefit finding, or the experience of personal growth and other positive changes in the face of a stressor, and perceived marital quality. To address these gaps in the field, 25 married couples participated in a cross-sectional, pilot study. Patients were veterans diagnosed with idiopathic PD receiving care at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Each patient and spouse independently completed self-reported measures of sociodemographics, physical and mental wellbeing, caregiver burden, marital quality, and perceived benefits associated with having PD. Actor-partner interdependence models revealed that, after adjusting for covariates, greater perceived benefits from either having PD or living with a spouse with PD was associated with greater marital quality, both for that individual and their partner. Thus, perceiving positive consequences, such as personal growth, as a result of personally having PD or living with a spouse with PD is related to greater marital quality for both members of the marital dyad. Findings may inform individual and couples-based interventions that address the value of benefit finding and incorporate other techniques of positive reappraisal.