The document discusses themes related to midlife couples, including marital problems, financial stress, health issues, and occupational impacts on relationships. It cites various studies highlighting how communication, finances, and health affect the dynamics of midlife marriages and cohabitation. Key findings indicate that external pressures like economic strain and individual well-being are closely tied to marital satisfaction and stability during this stage of life.

1. Themed Coding Assignment:
Themes: Data:
Theme 1: Midlife Couples who have Children
together
Henry, R. G., Miller, R. B. (2004). Marital
Problems Occurring in Midlife: Implications
for Couples Therapists. American Journal of
Family Therapy, 32(5), p405-417.
- “Communication, sexual intimacy,
money, and power have for many years
been identified as problems commonly
faced by couples” (pg 406)
- “It is likely that marital problems may
vary according to the stage of the family
life cycle because challenges and
obstacles experienced by couples
changes throughout life” (page 406)
Hansen, T., Moum, T., Shapiro, A. (2007).
Relational and Individual Well-Being Among
Cohabitors and Married Individuals in
Midlife. Journal of Family Issues. 28(7),
p910-933.
- “Marriage is governed by strong social
norms for family life, and married per-
sons may gain psychologically from a
clear delineation of rules and a narrow-
ing of behavioral choices” (page 915)
Perelli-Harris, B., Styrc, M. (2018). Mental
Well-Being Differences in Cohabitation and
Marriage: The Role of Childhood Selection.
Journal of Marriage & Family. 80(1), p239-
255.
- “Parental socioeconomic status is one
of the most significant predictors of
future life outcomes” (page 243)
Theme 2: Finances within midlife couples Gale, J., Goetz, J., Ross, D. B., Vowels, M.,
Wickrama, K. (2019). The Impact of Family
Economic Strain On Work-Family Conflict,
Marital Support, Marital Quality, and Marital
Stability During the Middle Years. Journal of
Personal Finance, 18(2), p9-24.
- “a partner’s spending behaviors and
level of financial stress has a direct
impact on their relationship
satisfaction” (page 4)

2. - “Economic strain has been found to be
associated with increased work-family
conflict for both husbands and wives,
but slightly more so for husbands”
(page 4)
Padgett, C., Remle, R. (2016). Financial
Assistance Patterns from Midlife Parents to
Adult Children: A Test of the Cumulative
Advantage Hypothesis. Journal of Family &
Economic Issues, 37(3), p435-449.
- “In particular, children may co-reside
with their parents for longer periods of
time and be more financially
intertwined as they make this
transition” (page 436)
-
Theme 3: Health for the married individuals
(mental and physical)
O’Neal, C. W., Wickrama, K. (2021). Midlife
Marital and Financial Stress and the
Progression of Later-Life Health Problems for
Husbands and Wives. Journal of Aging &
Health, 33(9), p685-697.
- “Also, studies have shown that
husbands and wives who report high
levels of marital happiness experience
a subsequent decline in depressive
symptoms over time” (page 686)
- “Spouses’ health and health behaviors
are often similar and tend to converge
over time, largely due to assortative
mating and shared resources and
lifestyles, producing couple de-
pendencies” (page 688)
Maltas, C. (1992). Trouble in Paradise:
Marital Crises of Midlife. Psychiatry, 55(2),
pp122-31.
- “This reveals something of the internal
paradox of marriage, a relationship
marked by continual change in the
partners and thus continually
becoming different from the
relationship to which lifelong
commitment was made” (page 122)
- “I will argue that midlife is a key time
of change and that heightened
reflection characterizing that period

3. offers unusual opportunities for
personal and interpersonal growth at
the same time that it confronts people
with the changes time has wrought”
(page 122)
Blumenstock, S. M., McKay, A., Milhausen,
R. R., Quinn-Nilas, C. (2020). High
Emotional and Sexual Satisfaction Among
Partnered Midlife Canadians: Associations
with Relationship Characteristics, Sexual
Activity and Communication, and Health.
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(3), p953-
967.
- “For women, the midlife years also
typically signal transition through
menopause—a process that is often
associated with changes in sexual
functioning and declines in
relationship and sexual satisfaction”
(page 955)
Klopack, E. T., Neppl, T., O’Neal, C. W.,
Wickrama, K. (2020). Patterning of Midlife
Marital Trajectories in Enduring Marriages in
a Dyadic Context: Physical and Mental
Health Outcomes in Later Years. Journal of
Social & Personal Relationships, 37(5),
p1472-1493.
- “In addition to examining various
indicators of marital strain, we
examine marital strength using
individuals’ perceptions of their
spouse’s warmth, their spouse’s
effective conflict resolution behavior,
and couples’ joint participation” (page
1474)
Theme 4: Occupation of each partner Berah, E., Hohaus, L. (1996). Stress,
Achievement, Marriage and Social Support:
Effects on the Psychological well-being of
Physicians Entering Midlife/Mid-career.
Psychology & Health, 11(5), p715-731.
- “Professional achievement satisfaction
and quality of marriage were expected
to be particularly important to positive
well-being in physicians, since
physicians have been consistently

4. described as achievement-oriented and
marriage plays a central role within
family life” (page 718)