Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Karen Bacher

Publication Date

7-12-2014

Abstract

Chronic illness in a family impacts each individual member of the family. However, the impact may vary from member to member, with each members reactions affecting the others. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the impact of migraine headaches on the male partner of the female patient. Specifically, the impact on quality of life, level of depression and marital satisfaction of the partner as reported by the partner, was targeted for study. Twenty couples completed the internet based survey which included a background information form, Migraine Specific Quality of Life measure, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Forty-five additional patients completed the survey, however, their data were not linked to a partner data set. A brief analysis of the patient only data was conducted as well. This exploratory study employed a correlational research design. Partners reported that patient migraine did in fact have a measurable impact on their own quality of life. However, analysis of partner scores revealed that their level of depression was not significantly influenced by the patient migraine. The assessment of partner marital satisfaction based on the scores from two different measures yielded conflicting results. Overall, partners did not report the patient's migraine as negatively impacting their satisfaction with their mate, nor their relationship as a whole. The patient only sample analysis revealed a strong statistically significant negative relationship between the Beck depression score and the MSQ total score.'

Keywords

migraine, quality of life, partner impact, depression, chronic illness, marital satisfaction

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Family Studies

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Individual, Family, and Community Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Atencio, David

Second Committee Member

Perry, Christina

Third Committee Member

Ehrlich-Jones, Linda

Download

Share

COinS