Gender Differences in Perceived Stress, Couple Satisfaction, And Coping Mechanism Among Married Patients with Bipolar Disorder

This comparative study investigated gender differences in perceived stress, couple satisfaction, and coping mechanisms among married individuals with bipolar disorder. Employing a cross-sectional design, 200 participants (86 women, 114 men; aged 25–40 years) diagnosed with bipolar disorder (DSM-5-tr criteria, manic episodes 2–3) were recruited via purposive sampling from both outdoor and indoor department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences Allied II Hospital, Faisalabad. The study was conducted from 8th December 2023 to 31st August 2024. Validated instruments—Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI-32), and Coping Scale (CS-13)—were administered. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between adaptive coping and couple satisfaction (r = 0.416, p < 0.01), while perceived stress showed negligible associations with both coping (r = 0.082) and satisfaction (r = –0.040). Regression confirmed stress did not predict coping (R² = 0.007, p = 0.24). Gender disparities emerged in couple satisfaction (d = 0.91), with women reporting higher scores (M = 115.67 vs. M = 100.53 for men), likely linked to women’s prioritization of emotional intimacy and men’s societal suppression of emotional expression. Despite minimal gender differences in stress (d = 0.06) and coping (d = 0.01), this study underscores the pivotal role of adaptive coping in enhancing marital satisfaction among married individuals with bipolar disorder, with women demonstrating markedly higher satisfaction tied to emotional intimacy and men’s outcomes influenced by societal emotional suppression. Gender-sensitive interventions—such as dyadic programs blending emotional validation for women and collaborative problem-solving for men—are critical to mitigating marital strain. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and culturally diverse designs to refine therapeutic strategies for bipolar populations.