The complexities of long-term relationships (both married and de-facto) have been analysed by researchers at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, with valuable insights gained.
Co-researcher Robyn Parker has discussed the findings at the Marriage and Relationship Educators Association of Australia National Conference this week, reporting on key findings from the research, including:
- the importance of prevention and early intervention strategies targeted at couples in the early stages of their relationships;
- the need for active engagement in behaviours that support the relationship in order to maintain relationship stability: simply wanting the relationship to continue is not enough;
- similarities between partners, and viewing partners through rose-tinted glasses, support marital satisfaction;
- parenthood has a significant impact on relationships. For example, how happy a father is at the time his eldest child goes to school often determines whether the couple will stay together or not; and
- relationship quality has an impact on health in later life therefore investing in the quality of the couple relationship can be of benefit to health promotion and intervention strategies.
Read about the research here: https://www3.aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/lasting-couple-relationships
