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Life After Bariatric Surgery: Perceptions of Male Patients and Their Intimate Relationships
Author(s) -
Moore Darren D.,
Cooper Clinton E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/jmft.12155
Subject(s) - psychology , intervention (counseling) , social support , perception , social relationship , social psychology , phenomenology (philosophy) , developmental psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience , philosophy , epistemology
This study explores the experiences of 20 men who have had bariatric surgery, focusing on their couple or marital relationships. The researcher concentrates on men's perspectives regarding relationship satisfaction, sexual intimacy, and social support after surgical intervention. Phenomenology and family systems theory were used to guide the study from which emerged three themes: (a) Unintended consequences (unpredicted problems occurring within intimate relationships); (b) Intimacy as bittersweet (experiencing increasing levels of intimacy, while still desiring more); and (c) Inconsistent social support (experiencing instances where social support is provided, while simultaneously experiencing other areas where social support is not provided). The study includes a rich description of the data, critical analysis, and discussion of clinical implications for therapists and other healthcare professionals.