While there's no evidence to show that cheating increases during recessions, experts point out that money and employment woes strain relationships, leaving them vulnerable to infidelity.
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Avoiding temptation, particularly when a lost job or depleted bank account has shaken your sense of self, can be difficult. But it's not impossible. The most obvious strategy, productive communication, bears repeating since couples often assign blame instead of engaging in fruitful conversations. Managing your expectations of the relationship, and what might be gained from an affair, is another successful technique.
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Dr. Joshua Coleman, an author and senior fellow at the Council on Contemporary Families, says these strategies help a couple understand the weaknesses of the relationship.
"Most marriages end not because of one or two big crises," he says. "Typically it's a death by a thousand cuts."
Lines of Communication
The whirlwind of working long hours, raising children and tending to the many bureaucracies of everyday life leaves little time for personal reflection. Under these conditions, couples can go weeks and months without expressing resentment or gratitude.
Tell-tale signs of strained communication, says Coleman, include chronic impatience and a tendency to blame. This dynamic can weaken the relationship and prompt one or both partners to seek validation from someone else. That may be fine when the outsider is a confidante with whom there is no risk of romantic entanglement. But otherwise, seeking emotional support from someone else may invite trouble.
Instead, Coleman suggests repairing breakdowns when they occur and then taking stock occasionally to be sure both individuals have moved on. Of course, this requires that both individuals take responsibility for mistakes, apologize when necessary and adjust future behavior. Though such communication may be difficult for some men, says Coleman, "It's actually a sign of psychological health and strength."
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