Interpersonal Interactions in the Marital Pair and Mental Health: A Comparative and Correlational Study

Abstract

AbstractInterpersonal interactions as social processes reflect and influence individuals' mental health. The aim of the study was to verify how marital interactions relate to mental health, and to investigate evidence for the validity of the Checklist for Interpersonal Transactions II (CLOIT-II). Participants were 169 couples from the southeast of the Brazilian state of Goiás, aged between 18 and 55 years ( M = 21; SD = 5.48). They responded to a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the CLOIT-II. Participants with low mental health problem scores in the GHQ (asymptomatic participants) tended to occupy interpersonal positions in the range between Deference/Trust and Affective warmth/Friendliness. In the group with high scores (symptomatic participants), interactions were defined by Coldness/Hostility.Mental health problems were positively correlated with mistrust, coldness and hostility and negatively correlated with positions of Affiliation. These results, in addition to supporting the validity of the CLOIT-II, indicate that the study of interpersonal relationships is relevant for the understanding of mental health.

Keywords

• validación de test
• saludmental
• relaciones interpersonales
• relaciones conyugales