Spousal Support and Relationship Happiness in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Spouses
Marie-France Lafontaine1, Claude Bélanger2, Stéphanie Jolin1
1School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the perceptions of spousal support self-efficacy in terms of dietary self-care and relationship happiness.
Methods:
Forty-six couples, in which only one spouse has type 2 diabetes, completed questionnaires on perceptions of spousal support self-efficacy and relationship happiness.
Results:
Using an actor‒partner interdependence model, we found that, when persons with type 2 diabetes were more confident in their spouse's ability to provide them with support regarding their dietary self-care, they reported more relationship happiness. We also found that, when their spouse without diabetes was more confident in their own abilities to provide such support to their partner, they reported more relationship happiness. However, the person with diabetes' confidence in their spouse's support abilities and the spouse's confidence in their own support abilities were not associated with the other partner's relationship happiness.
Conclusions:
This study offers a unique dyadic perspective on the determinants of happiness for couples in which one spouse has type 2 diabetes. The perceived quality of spousal support appears to be associated with relationship happiness in committed couples managing diabetes, regardless of the actual support received or provided.
Related Concept Videos
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Couples Therapy
Core Principles and Techniques
Couples therapy often incorporates cognitive-behavioral principles to identify and modify negative...


