title: The impact of neurological illness on marital relationships.
abstract: The current study investigated the impact of neurological illness on marital relationship satisfaction. Participants numbered 423 patients and 335 carers from motor neurone disease (MND), Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis (MS). The results demonstrated that patients and carers with HD had a significantly lower level of relationship satisfaction and sex life satisfaction than the other three illness groups. Further, patients with HD indicated a significantly higher level of relationship satisfaction than their carers. For MS and MND patients, social support predicted marital relationship satisfaction, and for Parkinson's patients, social support and sex life satisfaction predicted marital relationship satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elodie J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'connor
authors.forename: Marita P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Firth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires