Discrepant substance use and marital functioning in newlywed couples

The configuration of partners' drinking patterns maybe most critical to mar ital functioning. Implications of discrepant husband and wife smoking, drin king, and drug use for relationship quality at the transition to marriage w ere examined. Participants were 642 couples entering into their Ist marriag e. Separate, self-administered questionnaires were completed at home by eac h partner. Both husbands and wives in couples in which only I partner drank heavily or used drugs reported significantly lower marital quality than ot her spouses. Husband Use X Wife Use interactions were not significant for c igarette use, alcohol use, or regular drinking. Discrepancies in more devia nt substance use behaviors may be most relevant to marital functioning.