1. relationships,
interpersonal skills
& social support

2. main components of the journey
knowledge, facts, underlying research
clarifying how we want to be in our relationships
supporting each other in initiating and sustaining changes

3. Veroff J et al The inner American
happiness & marriage
% saying they are “very happy”
this graph averages figures from two US national surveys
it shows percentages of single, married and divorced people who rate themselves as “very happy”
Veroff J et al The inner American
New York: Basic Books, 1981

4. marital state & mental disorder
increased risk when unmarried
this graph is of rather dated US statistics
it shows the ratio of never married, divorced, & widowed people with mental disorder compared with the married
Gove WR The relationship between sex
roles, marital status, & mental illness
Social Forces 1972;51:34-44
never
married
divorced
widowed

5. adult relationships can heal
high quality relationships in adulthood can heal the negative effects on mood of earlier poor quality parenting
conversely poor quality adult relation-ships can damage mood despite high quality parenting during childhood
there is a danger too that poor parenting is a bit more likely to be associated with poor adult relationships because of damage to interpersonal competence
Hickie I et al Perceived dysfunctional intimate relationships: a specific association
with non-melancholic depressive subtype J Affect Disord 1990;19:99-107
Palosaari UK et al Parental divorce, self-esteem & depression: an intimate relation-
ship as a protective factor in young adulthood J Affect Disord 1995;35:91-6

6. marital satisfaction & the life cycle
Argyle M The psychology of happiness London: Routledge, 1987
Rollins-Feldman
Locke-Wallace
satisfaction
Blood-Wolfe
British study
married
without
children
child-
bearing
pre-school
children,
oldest 5
school
children,
oldest 5-12
teenagers,
oldest
12-16
first child
gone to
last leaving
empty
nest to
retirement
empty nest
to death of
1st spouse