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. 2021 Oct 15;8(2):20551029211039923.
doi: 10.1177/20551029211039923. eCollection 2021 Jul-Dec.

Couples undergoing Assisted Reproductive Techniques: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of dyadic adjustment, attachment, and body-image avoidance

Silvia Salcuni  1 , Elisa Mancinelli  1 , Anna Muneratti  1 , Antonella Grillo  2 , Chiara Alessi  3 , Antonino Guglielmino  2 , Livio Finos  1
Affiliations

Couples undergoing Assisted Reproductive Techniques: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of dyadic adjustment, attachment, and body-image avoidance

Silvia Salcuni et al. Health Psychol Open. .

Abstract

The aim is to assess the commonalities and interdependence referred to body-image avoidance among 118 couples newly introduced to first-level assisted reproductive techniques. Results showed non-clinical functioning levels, and partners showed a correlated, yet low, dyadic adjustment. The couple-effect was modeled through an Actor Partner Interdependence Model. For both partners, dyadic adjustment's actor-effect associates with body-image avoidance. Moreover, psychological symptoms' actor-effect associate to body-image avoidance, resulting significantly more influential than the partner-effect. Only for males, alexithymia's actor-effect was significant. To conclude, partners' functioning is quite specular yet not interdependent, as they do not show a couple-as-a-unit modality of functioning. Clinical implications are discussed.

Keywords: actor partner interdependent model; alexithymia; assisted reproduction techniques; attachment; body-image avoidance; dyadic adjustment; psychological distress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Actor-partner interdependence model.
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