Abstract

The emergence of a chronic physical illness is unexpected in emerging adulthood and is accompanied by stress. Additionally, married partners of individuals with physical illnesses are likewise affected by the new diagnosis. Marriage outcomes of couples facing chronic illnesses together vary, being sometimes positive and sometimes negative. The current study examined the relationship between the emergence of chronic physical illness in emerging adults and marital communication of both the patient and partner, with marital satisfaction as a moderator. Gender differences are also addressed. From the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study, a nationally representative dataset of newly married emerging adults, 142 couples whose husbands and 222 couples whose wives experienced the emergence of a physical illness in the second wave of data were used to estimate multiple group structural equation models in Mplus. Results from both samples indicated no significant relationship between the severity of a new physical illness and marital communication of patient or partner. The only evidence for moderation is that at low levels of husband marital satisfaction there is a significant positive effect of illness severity on wife relationship communication. Structural invariance testing found no difference between wife-ill and husband-ill couples.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2025-07-23

Document Type

Thesis

Keywords

emerging adults, health, marriage, communication

Language

english

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