Dyadic Associations of Suicidal Risk Predicting Relationship Satisfaction in a Clinical Sample

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal risk and associated trajectories of relational satisfaction in couples presenting for therapy using a national clinical data set, the Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network (MFT-PRN). The sample assessed 296 different-sex couples attending couple therapy at sessions one, four, and eight. Nearly a quarter of couples indicated suicidal risk at session one. Dyadic latent growth models revealed that higher suicidal risk had a small but significant association with lower initial relationship satisfaction for men; thus, while the suicidal risk is associated with men's lower relationship satisfaction at intake, it may not continue to have impacts later in treatment. Alternative analyses of 27 same-sex couples revealed a quarter of couples with suicidal risk at session one and that suicidal risk was not associated with relationship satisfaction. Although suicide risk was not associated with changes in relational satisfaction over time, suicidal risk should be assessed for couples presenting to therapy.