The Relationship Between the Sense of Coherence and Adjustment to Disability Studied in the Context of Marital Interrelations

ABSTRACT The aim of this article was to examine the Sense of Coherence (SOC) as a personal disposition, accounting for differences in the ability of the individual to cope effectively with the stressful experience of disability in the marital context. The relationship between the SOC of both spouses and their adjustment to a postmarital disability of one partner was examined within the interpersonal context of the marital relationship, incorporating an environmental perspective. Two groups of subjects were assessed: the individuals with disability and their spouses. The dominant disabilities were Spinal Cord Injury and CVA, all resulting in some form of paralysis. The SOC was found to be significantly associated with adjustment, and positive correlations existed between the SOC of both partners as well as between the adjustment of both, indicating that the reciprocal relations are explained beyond the personal variables. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.