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Benefit Finding and Psychological Adjustment Following a Non-Marital Relationship Breakup

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2014

Christina Samios ,
Donna F. Henson  and
Hannah J. Simpson
Christina Samios*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Donna F. Henson
Affiliation:
School of Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Hannah J. Simpson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Dr Christina Samios, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, Robina QLD 4229, Australia. Email: csamios@bond.edu.au
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Abstract

Many people experience a non-marital relationship breakup, which can lead to poor adjustment outcomes; however, relative to divorce, non-marital breakups have received less research attention, particularly on factors that may predict positive adjustment outcomes. We examined the adaptive role of finding benefits in a non-marital breakup in 140 participants who completed measures of benefit finding, the impact of the event, and adjustment. Regression analyses found that benefit finding related to positive adjustment outcomes and that the benefit finding-depression relationship was moderated by the impact of the event. This study provides empirical support for benefit finding in a non-marital relationship breakup.

Keywords

non-marital relationship breakupbenefit findingadjustmentimpact of the eventmeaning making theory

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Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 5 , 2014 , e6
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2014 

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