Financial pressures are putting a severe strain on some marriages in Ireland according to the Catholic Counselling service Accord. According to the latest statistics from the organisation, almost two thirds of the 4,000 couples who sought help in the first six months of this year had financial concerns.
The organisation also revealed that for 39% of clients, finance was a 'serious issue'. 83% of Accord’s clients said they were stressed while 52% said they were feeling depressed.
Jane Ferguson, co-director of counselling with Accord said that the service has seen a 10% increase in clients last year and an 11% rise so far this year.
She also commented that 80% of clients this year said criticism and insults are a part of their relationship, while one in three spoke of emotional abusive elements in the relationship.
Explaining the findings she said, “When an external difficulty such as losing a job or living under the threat of redundancy is added to the equation, people experience a whole range of emotions which might include anger, resentment, disillusionment, frustration, stress, anxiety. Some feel a sense of failure at not being able to provide a level of income sufficient to maintain the lifestyle that had been planned and some resent the fact that they are now financially dependent on the state or on their partner.”
“When people are under this kind of stress, their whole lives are adversely affected. The inability to calmly discuss the issue, and to work out ways of dealing with the financial difficulties, can affect their health, disrupt their sleeping and eating habits, and people can turn to alcohol as a means of gaining temporary relief. Unfortunately, the distress, frustration and anger at the situation might also be misdirected and aimed at family members.”