An Empirical Investigation of Psychodynamic Conflicts in Stable Couples. 2022

Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
Doctoral student at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and works at the Unit for Psychosomatic Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité-Medical Heart Center of Charité and German Heart Institute Berlin.

Introduction: Previous investigations have shown that stressful and pathological developments in couple relationships can be psychodynamically explained by rigid unconscious couple collusions. This manuscript presents and discusses the findings of a pilot study in which the psychodynamic conflicts of stable and "functioning" couples were empirically explored. Methods: We studied 116 couples (N = 232) who were currently married or in a steady relationship, had at least one child together, and showed no signs of mental disorders. Psychodynamic conflicts were measured using the OPD Conflict Questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire was used to screen for mental disorders. Results: Significant differences in the mean scores of psychodynamic conflicts between mothers and fathers appeared in the individuation versus dependency conflict, the self-worth conflict, and the guilt conflict. The maternal and paternal self-worth conflicts were associated with their socio-economic status. Parent couples mainly showed positive associations in the same coping modes and correlations between different conflict topics. Discussion: Our results provide initial insights into the psychodynamic conflicts of mothers and fathers from a nonclinical population and indicate that healthy and stable couple relationships are characterized by concordant and health-promoting ways of dealing with inner conflicts. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the influences of psychodynamic conflicts on the formation and maintenance of well-functioning and lasting relationships between couples.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010865 Pilot Projects Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005190 Family A social group consisting of parents or parent substitutes and children. Family Life Cycles,Family Members,Family Life Cycle,Family Research,Filiation,Kinship Networks,Relatives,Families,Family Member,Kinship Network,Life Cycle, Family,Life Cycles, Family,Network, Kinship,Networks, Kinship,Research, Family
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

Related Publications

Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
August 1994, Psychological reports,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
January 2015, American journal of psychotherapy,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
December 2022, Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
January 1979, American journal of psychoanalysis,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
November 1985, Psychiatrie, Neurologie, und medizinische Psychologie,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
January 1978, International journal of psychoanalytic psychotherapy,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
March 2013, Couple & family psychology,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
January 2008, Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie,
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
March 2021, Research in psychotherapy (Milano),
Aslı Akın, and Sibylle M Winter, and Lea Sarrar
January 2008, Annual review of clinical psychology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!