ABSTRACT Midlife is a time of both turbulence and stability for long-term romantic couples, a period that may bring adversity in the form of changed roles, distressed adult offspring, health conditions, and caregiving for parents. We draw on Afifi’s theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) to interpret interview data collected from 265 couples. Participants illustrated TRRL by describing familiar resource management practices, such sharing quality time. They extend the theory by reporting unanticipated practices, such as truth-telling and having fun. TRRL was challenged to account for the roles played by culture, faith, and resource-intensive identities. Some practices, such as broadening the base, were consistent with both TRRL and other theories. Findings respond to calls by resilience researchers for improved understanding of interactive practices that help people steel against the inevitable challenges of aging.

中文翻译：

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对抗中年逆境：长期浪漫情侣的韧性提升实践

摘要中年对于长期浪漫的情侣来说，是一个充满动荡和稳定的时期，这个时期可能会以角色变化，成年后代苦恼，健康状况以及为父母提供照料的形式带来逆境。我们利用Afifi的弹性和关系负荷（TRRL）理论来解释从265对夫妇那里收集的访谈数据。参与者通过描述熟悉的资源管理实践（例如共享质量时间）来说明TRRL。他们通过报告出乎意料的做法（例如讲真话和娱乐）来扩展理论。TRRL面临挑战，要求解释文化，信仰和资源密集型身份扮演的角色。一些做法，例如扩大基础，与TRRL和其他理论都一致。