Epidemiology of marital problems in a psychiatric population

Henry B.W.; Overall J.E.

Univ. Texas Med. Branch, Galveston, Tex. 77550, USA

Psychiatric and social history associated with complaints of marital problems among adult psychiatric outpatients was examined. It was found that patients for whom marital difficulties are a focal problem can be distinguished from other out patients in terms of basic demographic variables, family history, concomitant social and behavioral problems, as well as in terms of psychiatric symptomatology. Marital problems tend to be reported most frequently by agitated, hostile, neurotic depressive patients. Alcohol abuse appears as a relevant concomitant problem, and patients with marital problems more often report family discord in their childhood homes. Young females constitute the target population most likely to seek or to accept professional help for marital problems.

Keywords: agitation; alcoholism; behavior disorder; demography; depression; divorce; epidemiology; family life; hostility; marriage; neurosis; parent; sexual behavior; social behavior; socioeconomics; major clinical study

SOC. PSYCHIATRY 10/3 (139-144) 1975