Turning Everything Upside Down

The Impact of Illness on Romantic Relationships—A SEM ‐Based Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model

Datos Bibliográficos

ID17190889
AutoresFranziska Reinhardt (0000-0002-2078-0660, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, autor de correspondencia), Imad Maatouk (0000-0002-8030-1182, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Integrated Psychosomatic Medicine University Hospital Wuerzburg Wuerzburg Germany)
Año2026
Volumen65
Número1
Páginase70129-e70129
Fecha de publicación2026-02-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaFamily Process (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/famp.70129
PMID41685887
OpenAlexW7128792371
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas66

Illnesses are often associated with fundamental changes in relationship dynamics. Yet, little is known about how different acute and chronic conditions distinctly impact both partners' well-being. This study analyzed the reciprocal associations between different illnesses on life satisfaction and relationship satisfaction in partnerships. Based on data from the Family Demographic Panel (FReDA), 14,426 people were analyzed in a two-stage analysis process. In the first step, a Welch-ANOVA examined disease-specific differences in life satisfaction as a function of partnership status, focusing on the well-being of the ill individual. In the second step, an extended Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was applied to partnered dyads, shifting the focus to the healthy partner and analyzing how the illness of one partner and relational factors are associated with the partner's relationship and life satisfaction. The results revealed substantial crossover effects, with consistent partnership-related patterns across illness types. Disease severity and duration were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, whereas intimacy and constructive conflict resolution emerged as universal protective factors. These findings underscore the relevance of a systemic perspective in healthcare and show the need for partnership-oriented interventions

Constructive · General partnership · Interpersonal relationship · Life satisfaction · Perspective (graphical) · Reciprocal · Relevance (law) · Romance · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Family Caregiving in Mental Illness