Marital satisfaction and trauma-related symptoms among injured survivors of terror attacks and their spouses

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between marital satisfaction and trauma-related symptoms (i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety) among 105 couples of injured survivors of terror attacks and their spouses ( N = 210). Structural equation modeling and the actor–partner interdependence model were used to test the interdependence relationship between survivors’ and spouses’ marital satisfaction and trauma-related symptoms. The results demonstrated that the level of marital satisfaction reported by unexposed spouses was negatively associated with their own trauma-related symptoms as well as with the symptoms reported by the survivors. In contrast, the level of marital satisfaction reported by the survivors was negatively associated with their own trauma-related symptoms but had no connection with trauma-related symptoms reported by their spouses. Taken together, our findings shed new light on the potential links between marital satisfaction and trauma-related symptoms for survivors of terrorism and their spouses. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.