ABSTRACT
One of the most essential human needs is forming and maintaining close relationships (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Worthington, 2005). The presence or absence of close relationships has been found to have serious consequences for one’s happiness, mental health, mortality, suicidality, and overall life experience (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Goldsmith, 2007; McAdams & Bryant,1987; Qualter & Munn, 2002). And when one spans the myriad of human relationships, the most influential relationship, arguably is the marital relationship. Research has found that this relationship has similar and consistent, if not even more benefits than other close relationships. For instance, being married has been shown to serve as a protective factor against stress, depression, alcohol consumption, and overall psychological and somantic health problems and illnesses (Kamp Dush & Amato, 2005; Waite & Gallagher, 2000; DeLongis, Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988).
