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Rak dojke je zelo pogosta oblika raka pri ženskah in globoko vpliva na fizično, čustveno ter socialno počutje bolnic. Ne vpliva le na žensko, ampak tudi na njen partnerski odnos in partnerja, ki ima eno izmed ključnih vlog pri podpori ter pomoči žensk pri celotnem procesu zdravljenja dojk. V magistrskem delu je avtorica raziskovala pomen partnerskega odnosa pri odstranitvi dojke v času raka dojk. V teoretičnem delu je predstavljen rak dojke in dejavniki tveganja za njegov nastanek ter vrste zdravljenja, ki se jih lahko žensko posluži. Piše tudi o psihosocialnih izzivih, ki jih rak prinese v življenje žensk in o vplivu raka dojke na samopodobo ženske ter spolnost. Predstavila je pomen partnerskega odnosa in spremembe v odnosu zaradi raka dojke ter je obravnavala funkcionalen in nefunkcionalen partnerski odnos. V empiričnem delu je avtorica s fenomenološko psihološko metodo raziskovala doživljanje pomena partnerskega odnosa pri ženskah po diagnozi raka dojk. Izvedla je šest poglobljenih intervjujev z ženskami, ki so imele raka dojke. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali vpliv funkcionalnega partnerskega odnosa na lažje prebolevanje raka dojke in kako lahko partner deluje podporno. S tem so bili osvetljeni praktični in drugih vidiki pomoči. Ugotovljeno je, da so vse udeleženke dojemale svoj partnerski odnos kot podporen in so zanj zelo hvaležne. Udeleženke so se borile s spremenjeno samopodobo v času diagnoze in tudi po diagnozi, vendar ne toliko zaradi odstranjene dojke, kot pa zaradi drugih fizičnih sprememb, ki jih rak prinese. Ženske so bile opolnomočene na področju samopodobe s strani partnerja. Udeleženke so doživljanje veliko spremembo na področju spolnosti, vendar to dejstvo ni zmanjšalo zadovoljstva v partnerskem odnosu, saj so tudi partnerji pokazali veliko mero potrpežljivosti in razumevanja. Po prebolelem raku se vse počutijo bolj povezane s svojimi partnerji. Breast cancer is a widespread form of cancer occuring in women with a profound effect on the physical, emotional as well as social well-being of patients. It affects not only them, but also their relationships with their partners as well as the partners themselves, who are the ones playing one of the key roles in supporting and helping women throughout the entire process of breast treatment. In this Master's thesis, the author has conducted research on the importance of a partner relationship in cases of breast-cancer induced mastectomy. The theoretical part contains a description of breast cancer and the risk factors for its occurrence as well as the types of treatment a woman can use. The author also writes about the psychosocial challenges that cancer brings to women's lives as well as the impact of breast cancer on a woman's self-image and sexuality. The author presents the importance of partner relationships and changes in relationships due to breast cancer, and discusses functional and dysfunctional partner relationships. In the empirical part of the thesis, the author uses a phenomenological psychological method to investigate the experience of the importance of a partner relationship in women after a breast cancer diagnosis. For this purpose, six in-depth interviews with women who had breast cancer were conducted. The research results show the positive impact of a functional partner relationship on recovery from breast cancer and demonstrate the role the partner can take on as a supporter in such situations. Some other practical and various aspects of assistance were also highlighted. The conclusion is that all the participants perceived their partner relationship as supportive and were very grateful for it. The participants struggled with an altered self-image at the time of diagnosis as well as in the period that followed, due not so much to the removed breast but to other physical changes brought on by the cancer. The subjects were empowered in the area of self-image by their partner. They experienced a significant difference in the field of sexuality, but this fact did not reduce the satisfaction in the partner relationship, as their partners also showed a great deal of patience and understanding. After overcoming the disease, they all feel a greater connection with their partners.

V magistrskem delu je prikazan pregled literature o čustveni regulaciji, soočanju s konflikti ter o zadovoljstvom v partnerskem odnosu. Teoretični del je avtorica razdelila na dva poglavja. Prvo poglavje zajema opredelitev čustev, osnovna in sestavljena čustva, čustveno regulacijo, čustveno inteligenco ter soočanje s kritičnimi situacijami, kot so frustracija in konflikt ter kriza in stres. Drugo poglavje je razdeljeno na tri podpoglavja. Prvo podpoglavje je namenjeno opisu zadovoljstva v partnerskem odnosu, v drugem podpoglavju je opis komunikacije v partnerskem odnosu in v tretjem podpoglavju je namenjeno opisu konflikta v partnerskem odnosu, kjer med drugim opisuje naravo konflikta, stopnje partnerskega konflikta, osnovne teme intimnih odnosov ter reševanje konfliktov z vsebino kako lahko preprečimo in zmanjšamo konflikte ter predlogi za preprečevanje in reševanje konfliktov. V empiričnem delu je avtorica s kvantitativno metodo želela ugotoviti, kakšna je povezanost med čustveno regulacijo, soočanjem s problemi in zadovoljstvom v partnerskem odnosu ter raziskati razlike v čustveni regulaciji glede na spol. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 183 udeležencev starih med 17 in 69 let, od tega 18 moških in 165 žensk. Rezultati so pokazali, da več kot imajo posamezniki težav s čustveno regulacijo, več imajo težav v soočanju s partnerskimi konflikti. Posamezniki, ki imajo več težav s čustveno regulacijo, imajo nižje zadovoljstvo v partnerskem odnosu. Prav tako se je izkazalo, da več kot je težav v soočanju s partnerskimi konflikti, manj je zadovoljstva v partnerskem odnosu. Ugotovljeno je bilo še, da med moškimi in ženskami obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike pri izražanju čustev, in sicer, da ženske slabše regulirajo izražanje svojih čustev kot moški. The current master's thesis deals with a review of the literature on emotional regulation, dealing with conflicts, and satisfaction in a partner relationship. The author divided the theoretical part into two essential chapters. The first chapter covers the definition of emotions, basic and compound emotions, emotional regulation, emotional intelligence and ways of dealing with critical situations such as frustration and conflict and crisis and stress. The second chapter is further divided into three sub-chapters. The first sub-chapter gives a description of satisfaction in a partner relationship, the second sub-chapter contains a description of communication in a partner relationship, and the third sub-chapter is dedicated to a description of conflict in a partner relationship, where, among other things, it describes the nature of this type of conflict, the levels of partner conflict, the basic themes of intimate relationships and conflict resolution with the help of of useful content: ways to prevent and reduce conflicts and suggestions for preventing and resolving conflicts. In the empirical part of the master's thesis, the author, using a quantitative method, wanted to find the connection between emotional regulation and cases of facing problems and satisfaction in a partner relationship, and to investigate differences in emotional regulation with regard to gender. In her research, the author included 183 participants between the ages of 17 and 69, of which 18 were men and 165 were women. The results showed that the more problems individuals have with emotional regulation, the more problems they have in dealing with partner conflicts. Individuals who have more problems with emotional regulation have lower satisfaction in the partner relationship. The research also showed that the more problems there are in dealing with partner conflicts, the less satisfaction there is in the partner relationship. During the research, it was also established that there are statistically significant differences between men and women in the ways of expressing emotions, namely that women regulate the expression of their emotions worse than men.

Multipla skleroza (MS) je kronična vnetna demielinizacijska bolezen osrednjega živčevja domnevno z avtoimunskim izvorom, ki prizadene posameznika v njegovih najbolj produktivnih letih življenja. Večinoma zbolijo ljudje med 20. in 40. letom starosti, ženske 2- do 4-krat pogosteje kot moški. To je čas, ko si posameznik poišče partnerja, si želi ustvariti družino in je na višku svoje poklicne kariere. Bolezen zaznamuje partnerski odnos in vpliva na celotno družino. Zaradi same bolezni, njenih simptomov, neželenih učinkov zdravil, psihičnih, socialnih in kulturnih razlogov se lahko pojavijo spremembe v spolnosti, za katero pa je znano, da je pomemben del partnerskega odnosa. V literaturi nismo zasledili raziskav o tem, ali je zadovoljstvo z zdravljenjem z zdravili povezano s partnerskim odnosom in spolno disfunkcijo, zato smo želeli v doktorski disertaciji odgovoriti prav na to vprašanje, saj vemo, da morajo bolniki z MS več let in desetletij jemati imunomodulatorna zdravila, ki lahko imajo neželene učinke. Ti vplivajo na kvaliteto njihovega življenja in vsakodnevno funkcioniranje. Raziskava je razdeljena na tri dele. V prvem nas je zanimalo, koliko bolnikov z multiplo sklerozo, ki prejemajo enega od imunomodulatornih zdravil, je v partnerski zvezi, koliko je ločenih in koliko samskih. V drugem delu smo iskali morebitno povezanost med zadovoljstvom z zdravljenjem, partnerskim odnosom in stopnjo spolne disfunkcije. Pri tem smo upoštevali tudi stopnjo nevrološke prizadetosti in trajanje bolezni. Prav tako nas je zanimalo, ali so bolniki z enostavnejšim načinom zdravljenja v obliki tablet in infuzij bolj zadovoljni, imajo kvalitetnejši partnerski odnos in manj pogosto spolno disfunkcijo kot bolniki, ki si sami vbrizgavajo zdravilo v podkožje ali mišico. S tretjim, kvalitativnim delom raziskave pa smo nadgradili kvantitativne rezultate. V kvantitativni del raziskave je bilo vključenih 588 bolnikov. Uporabili smo tri merske pripomočke: Vprašalnik o zadovoljstvu zdravljenja z zdravili (angl. Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication – TSQM, verzija 1.4), Kvaliteta partnerskega odnosa, lestvica diadne regulacije (angl. Dyadic adjustment scale – DAS) in Vprašalnik o intimnosti in spolnosti (angl. Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire – MSISQ-19). Ugotovili smo, da je večina bolnikov, ki prejemajo imunomodulatorno terapijo, poročenih ali pa živijo v izvenzakonski partnerski zvezi, da so bolniki z enostavnejšim načinom zdravljenja, ki smo ga definirali kot jemanje tablet ali prejemanje infuzij, v primerjavi z zapletenejšim načinom zdravljenja v obliki injekcij bolj zadovoljni ter da je bila pri enostavnejšem načinu zdravljenja manj pogosta sekundarna in terciarna spolna disfunkcija, vrsta zdravljenja pa ni vplivala na kvaliteto partnerskega odnosa. V tretjem delu smo zbrane podatke, ki smo jih pridobili s poglobljenimi intervjuji, analizirali po metodologiji osnovane teorije. Izpostavili smo pomembne vidike življenja bolnikov z MS, ki so v partnerskem odnosu. Oblikovali smo pet kategorij: partnerski odnos, prosti čas, bolezen in zdravljenje, fizične spremembe v funkcioniranju in spolnost. Razvili smo osnutek modela MS DANES, ki bi nam lahko pomagal pri obravnavi bolnikov v centrih za MS. S pomočjo tega bi dobili širšo sliko o tem, kako bolnik živi z boleznijo, kako prenaša zdravljenje, kašen je njegov odnos s partnerjem ter kakšen je njegov socialni in ekonomski status. Rezultati bodo prispevali nova znanja za razvoj in oblikovanje intervenc v relacijski družinski in zakonski terapiji ter bodo v pomoč kako v terapevtskem procesu pristopiti k bolnikom z multiplo sklerozo. Multiple sclerosis is chronic inflammatory disease with presumed autoimmune ethology which typically occurs during the most productive period of life. It mostly affects people between 20 and 40 years old and has 2-4 times greater incidence in women. This is also a period in life when a person looks for a partner, establish a family and is usually also at the top of professional carrier. Multiple sclerosis has thereby strong influence of partner relationship and family life as such. Symptoms, possible side effects of medical treatment, psychological, social and cultural issues may influence sexual activity which represents very important component of partner relationship. Since there are, to our knowledge, no studies investigating relationship between satisfaction with multiple sclerosis treatment, partner relationship and sexual dysfunction, we addressed this topic which is even more important in view of long-term immunomodulatory treatment with significant side effects influencing every day quality of life. Our study is divided into the three parts. We initially addressed marital status of patients with multiple sclerosis on immunomodulatory treatment and determined the proportions of patients who were in either partner relationship, divorced or single. We then investigated possible relationship between satisfaction with multiple sclerosis treatment, quality of partner relationship and sexual dysfunction considering the degree of neurological disability and duration of the disease. We further investigated if patients with more simple treatment including tablets and infusions were more satisfied, have better partner relationship and less frequent sexual dysfunction compared to patients with more complex treatment including administration of the drug by subcutaneous/intramuscular injections. The third part of our study was qualitative and aimed to complement quantitative research. We included 588 patients and use three questionnaires: Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication – TSQM, Dyadic adjustment scale – DAS and Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire – MSISQ-19. We found that majority of patients with multiple sclerosis on immunomodulatory treatment were married or had extramarital relationship. Patients receiving more simple treatment with tablets and infusions were more satisfied compared to patients on subcutaneous/intramuscular injections. More simple treatment was associated also with less secondary and tertiary dysfunction. There was, however, no association between mode of treatment and quality of partner relationship. Herein presented qualitative analysis was based on grounded theory. We exposed important aspects of life in patients with multiple sclerosis who are in partner relationship. We established 5 categories including partner relationship, spare time, disease and treatment, changes in physical status and sexuality. We developed a model »MS TODAY« aimed to facilitate treatment of patients in centres for multiple sclerosis. This would enable more comprehensive view on patient life with multiple sclerosis, tolerance of immunomodulatory treatment, partner relationship and social as well as economic status. Our results are expected to contribute new evidence which will facilitate target interventions in relationship and family therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Pričujoče delo temelji na raziskovanju čustvene regulacije v partnerskem odnosu in rabi alkohola v času epidemije. V teoretičnem delu smo v prvem poglavju opredelili temeljno vlogo odnosa, iz katerega izhaja tudi partnerski, in v drugem stile navezanosti v otroški ter odrasli dobi. Partnerski odnos je prostor, kjer se ponovijo vzorci obnašanja in čutenja poznana iz primarne družine, in upanje, da bosta uspela te spore na razumevajoč in spoštovan način razrešiti. V partnerskem odnosu je močan čut in želja po svobodi in samostojnosti, a hkrati bližini, stiku in razumljenosti, ki partnerjema pomeni sprejetost in ljubljenost. V odnosih si želimo varnosti, čustvene topline in zaupanja, vendar je pot do zadovoljujoče intime pogosto tlakovana z lastno in partnerjevo ranjenostjo, ki jo je potrebno s sočutnim pogovorom zaceliti (Gostečnik 1999, 13-5). Ob posameznikovem soočanju s stisko in tesnobo je čustvena regulacija, o kateri smo pisali v naslednjem poglavju, pomemben notranji in zunanji proces, ki ga uporabljamo za prilagajanje in spremljanje čustvenih reakcij na dražljaje iz okolja (Thompson 1995). Čustvena regulacija se zgodi brez zavedanja, zavednega nadzora posameznika in njegovega vpogleda v čustvene konflikte (Sotres-Bayon in Quirk 2010, 231-5). Cvetek (2014, 5) navaja, da je neustrezno ravnanje s čustvi eden največjih dejavnikov razkroja v zakoskih in družinskih odnosih. Nadaljuje, da primerno uravnana čustva pomagajo človeku h kvaliteti medsebojnih odnosov in funkcionalnosti življenja ter prispevajo k blagostanju v odnosih (6). Regulirano čustvo pri posamezniku dokazuje njegovo moč soočanja in priznavanja doživljati čustvo in ga začutiti. Izkušnja ga nauči, da se sočutno sprejme in se ne doživlja kot nemočna žrtev (40). Tesnobni posamezniki, ki sami ne zmorejo regulirati temeljnih afektov, pa kot mehanizem regulacije uporabljajo alkohol, ki je bil v času epidemije v porastu. Peto poglavje smo namenili rabi alkohola, vzrokom za alkoholizem, alkoholu kot mehanizmu čustvene regulacije, agresiji in nasilju zaradi alkohola in zdravljenju. Ob koncu teoretičnega dela smo se dotaknili epidemije virusa COVID-19, ki je drastično posegel v naše vsakdanje življenje, spremenil in prizadel rutino posameznika ter povzročil nepredstavljiv stres. V empiričnem delu smo predstavili ugotovitve na podlagi vzorca 115 udeležencev, od katerih je bilo 90 ženskega in 25 moškega spola, starostni razpon se je gibal med 18 in 60 letom. Pri epidemiološkem vplivu na povečanje rabe alkohola smo izhajali iz predpostavke, da so partnerji zaradi nenadnega stresa, depresije in zdravstvene ogroženosti popili več alkohola in težje regulirali čustva. Obe trditvi smo zavrgli. Nadalje smo predvidevali, da se je povečalo fizično nasilje in se je povečalo uživanje alkohola med ženskami, ki so izgubile delo. Obe trditvi smo zavrgli. Potrdili pa smo peto trditev, in sicer so imeli uporabniki alkohola izkušnjo s staršem alkoholikom. The present work is based on research on emotional regulation in partner relationships and alcohol use during the epidemic. In the theoretical part, we define in the first chapter the fundamental role of the relationship, from which the partner relationship is derived, and in the second chapter the attachment styles in childhood and adulthood. The partner relationship is a space where patterns of behaviour and feelings familiar from the primary family are repeated, and a hope that the couple will be able to resolve these disputes in an understanding and respectful way. In a partnership there is a strong sense and desire for freedom and autonomy, but at the same time closeness, contact and understanding, which means acceptance and affection between the partners. In relationships, we want security, emotional warmth and trust, but the path to satisfying intimacy is often paved with our own and our partner's emotional damage, which needs to be healed through compassionate conversation (Gostečnik 1999, 13-5). In the context of facing distress and anxiety, emotion regulation, which we discuss in the next section, is an important internal and external process that is used to adapt and monitor emotional reactions to environmental stimuli (Thompson 1995). Emotional regulation happens without the individual's awareness, conscious control and insight into emotional conflicts (Sotres-Bayon and Quirk 2010, 231-5). Cvetek (2014, 5) states that the inadequate handling of emotions is one of the biggest factors of disintegration in marital and family relationships. She goes on to say that well-regulated emotions help people to have good relationships and a functional life, and contribute to well-being in relationships (6). A regulated emotion in an individual demonstrates their ability to face and recognise, experience and feel an emotion. The experience teaches them to accept themselves compassionately and not to experience themselves as a helpless victim (40). Anxious individuals who are unable to regulate their emotional outbursts use alcohol as a mechanism of regulation, whose use was on the rise during the epidemic. Chapter five focuses on alcohol use, causes of alcoholism, alcohol as a mechanism of emotional regulation, alcohol-related aggression and violence, and the treatment of alcoholism. At the end of the theoretical part, we touch upon the COVID-19 epidemic, which has drastically affected our daily lives, changed and affected our routines and caused unimaginable stress. In the empirical part, we present our findings based on a sample of 115 participants, 90 female and 25 male, with an age range between 18 and 60 years. In the assessment of the epidemiological impact on the increase in alcohol use, we started on the assumption that due to sudden stress, depression and health risks partners drank more alcohol and found it harder to regulate their emotions. Both claims were rejected. Furthermore, we hypothesised that there was an increase in physical violence and an increase in alcohol consumption among women who had lost their jobs. Both claims were rejected. In the end, we discarded another of the main assumptions that study participants had experience with a parent alcoholic in childhood.

Partnerski odnos velja za enega najpomembnejših odnosov v človeškem življenju. Pri tem pa povečanje družine, torej prihod otroka, kaže na velik mejnik v partnerskem odnosu, saj močno zamaje dotedanjo dinamiko in pozornost usmeri v otroka. Partnerja se tako v obdobju nosečnosti in prvega leta soočata z močnimi občutji in utrujenostjo, ki lahko zamaje razmerje. Partnerja morata ponovno ovrednotiti njuno razmerje in na novo postaviti temelje. Prvi otrok pa po drugi strani prinese veliko poglobljene povezanosti in drugih pozitivnih občutij. V magistrskem delu smo preko posameznih doživljanj udeleženk raziskovali, na kak način se spremembe kažejo ob prihodu otroka, ko se pozornost usmeri na novega člana. Za raziskavo smo uporabili kvalitativno metodo fenomenološkega pristopa, kjer smo s polstrukturiranimi intervjuji pridobili posamezne vtise za to obdobje. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 5 udeleženk, ki so izpolnjevale zahtevana merila. Pri udeleženkah se je pokazalo, da so večinsko zadovoljne s partnerskim odnosom po prihodu otroka, vendar smo zabeležili tudi negativne spremembe, ki pa v našem primeru niso prevladovale. Raziskava je pokazala, da so bistveni temelji razmerja kakovost odnosa pred otrokom, predvsem pa dobra komunikacija in reševanje konfliktov, saj so to orodja, s katerimi sta partnerja negativna občutja in neskladja pozitivno reševala. Več sprememb je bilo opaziti tudi na področju delitve dela, skupnega preživetega časa, nege otroka in intime. Za pomembno se je izkazalo tudi načrtovanje otroka, ki je povezano z dejavniki financ, izobrazbe in bivanjske ureditve. Omeniti je treba tudi pričakovanja, ki veljajo za velik dejavnik pri vzpostavljanju novega sistema in razvoj le-teh velja za neizbežnega v času nosečnosti. Udeleženke so čez začetne spremembe prehajale različno, na kar je vplivalo tudi okolje in okoliščine. Posebnim pripravam na otroka in spremembe udeleženke niso dajale velikega poudarka. V splošnem so vse udeleženke izrazile, da so s partnerjem in njunim odnosom zadovoljne, prav tako s partnerjevo pomočjo pri otroku, kar predstavlja velik vpliv na njihovo zadovoljstvo s partnerskim odnosom. Expecting a child is one of the biggest relationship milestones because it significantly affects the relationship dynamics and draws attention towards the child. During pregnancy and the first year, partners are faced with powerful emotions and fatigue, which can take a toll on their relationship. It is crucial that both of them re-evaluate their relationship and lay a new foundation to reinforce the bond between the two of them. On the other hand, the first child also contributes to a deeper connection between partners and helps discover new positive emotions. The master’s thesis focuses on female participants expecting a child and how the new family member changes the partner relationship. We acquired the necessary information about the impressions of our female participants, during their pregnancy and the first year, with the help of semi-structured interviews and the phenomenological approach (a form of qualitative research). The research was based on 5 female participants that met the necessary conditions. The study showed that the women are generally satisfied with the relationship they have with their partner even after the child was born but we also registered a few negative changes, which did not prevail. The research indicated that the key to a healthy relationship is a caring relationship in front of your child, good communication and conflict resolution. The female participants also highlighted that they noticed positive changes in sharing housework, in the quality time spent together, child care and intimacy. An important factor was planning for pregnancy, which allowed the couples to, at least in part, sort out their finances, education and accommodation before the baby comes. It is worth noting that the expectations, which are considered unavoidable during pregnancy, are very important in establishing a new system. The first changes did not affect our female participants in the same way, because the environment and circumstances played an important role as well. The women did not have any special preparations for the child and did not pay a lot of attention to the occurring changes. The female participants are satisfied with their partner and with the help, which has a very positive impact on their partner relationship.

Proces praznjenja družinskega gnezda tako kot samo obdobje praznega gnezda pomeni gotovo eno večjih prelomnic v življenjskem ciklusu vsake družine. Stanje, ki sledi, kliče k reorganizaciji vseh odnosov, tako odnosov med starši in otroki, ki so zapustili domače gnezdo, ali z otroki, ki v njem še ostajajo, kakor tudi k reorganizaciji odnosa med partnerjema, ki sta nekako »izgubila« vlogo starša, ki je bila v marsikaterem odnosu dominantna, in sta se sedaj ponovno znašla »samo« v vlogi partnerja. V teoretičnem delu sem opredelila obdobje praznega gnezda in obdobje srednje odraslosti, ki sovpadata, se ustavila pri oblikovanju partnerskega odnosa, prehodu iz partnerske diade v starševsko triado in naposled pogledala tudi na krivuljo partnerskega zadovoljstva med skupnim bivanjem. V pogovorih, ki sem jih opravila s štirimi pari, me je zanimalo predvsem, kako sta se partnerja kot posameznika, kot partnerja in kot starša soočila z osamosvajanjem otrok in kaj je prazno družinsko gnezdo prineslo v njun zakon oziroma odnos. Zanimalo me je tudi, kako se je njuno partnersko zadovoljstvo spreminjalo skozi čas skupnega življenja in če se med njima pojavljajo bistvene razlike v doživljanju odhoda otrok. Želela sem poizvedeti o morebitni čustveni krizi kot posledici praznega gnezda in o stikih, ki jih gojita z otroki, ki so se osamosvojili. Ugotovitve kažejo, da pari odhod otrok od doma zelo različno doživljajo. To je povezano z njihovimi življenjskimi prioritetami, osebnostno naravnanostjo in »prtljago«, ki jo nosijo s seboj iz preteklosti oziroma iz primarnih družin. Ravno tako so se pari, ki so doživeli čustveno krizo, uspešno spoprijeli z njo, in sicer vsak par na svoj način. Za vse pa velja, da s svojimi odraslimi otroki ohranjajo stike in gojijo dobre odnose z njimi. The process of emptying the nest along with the period of the empty nest is absolutely one of the biggest turning points in the life of the family. The state which follows this process requires the reorganisation of relationships between parents and children who left the family nest or are still at home as well as the relationship between partners who somehow “lost” their parenting role which was in many cases dominant and again became only partners. In the theoretical part of the thesis, the period of the empty nest and the period of middle adulthood that coincide with one another were defined. In addition, the formation of a partner relationship, a transition from a partner dyad into a parent triad and finally a scale of partner satisfaction during the years spent together were discussed. In discussions carried out with four couples, the focus was laid on how they were dealing with their children’s independence as individuals, partners and parents and what the empty nest brings for their relationship. In addition, I was also interested in how their partner satisfaction changed over the years spent together and whether there were any differences in response to children leaving home. I also draw attention to any potential emotional crisis as a consequence of the empty nest and the contacts the couples have with their adult children. The findings suggest great differences in couples’ reactions to children leaving home. They depend on their life’s priorities, personal orientation and “baggage” they are carrying from their past or nuclear families. Even the couples who experienced an emotional crisis successfully dealt with it, however, each in their own way. And it applies to all of them that they are in contact and on good terms with their adult children.