Focus on emotion to cope stress in romantic couples

Romantic partners can experience stress that originates outside (external) or within (internal) their relationship in a form which could be acute (within the last 7 days) or chronic (within the last 12 months). External stressors are those that typically affect one partner (e.g., a bad day at work) and this stress could spillover into the relationship causing internal stress. In this direction, stress can be considered a dyadic phenomenon that affects both partners within a romantic relationship. Subjects completed the Multidimensional Stress Scale for Couples (MSF-P; Bodenmann, 2007) measuring the stressors connected to their partner, the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI; Bodenmann, 2008) assessing individual and partners’ perceptions of the dyadic coping and the Chronic and Acute Stress Index (CASI), a 16-items measure, designed to evaluate internal and external, acute and chronic stressors. Eligibility criteria for joining the study were: age over 18 years old, marriage or cohabitation with the current romantic partner for at least two years. Data has been collected from 827 individuals (390 = women, 437 = men). Mean age of participants was Mmen = 43.44 (SD =11.85), Mwomen = 40.55 (SD =11.65) and mean relationship duration was Mmen = 17.21 (SD =12.43), Mwomen=16.81 (SD =12.16). Correlational analysis showed a significant negative correlation between MSF-P and supportive dyadic coping both emotion-focused and problem-focused, both self-related and partner-related scales (r values between -.10 and -.563); significant negative correlation between crossover factor both chronic and acute and supportive dyadic coping (r values between -.079 and -.225). Partners who reports to focus on emotion to cope with stress report a minor level of stress from everyday life situation. So, results suggest that utilize higher skills of supportive dyadic coping emotion-focused, could be a protective factor and help to cope with everyday stress, both chronic and acute.