Perceived dysfunctional intimate relationships: a specific association with the non-melancholic depressive subtype

Associations between perceptions of dysfunctional current intimate relationships and subtypes of depressive disorders were quantified in a sample of 136 patients, using the Intimate Bond Measure (IBM). Deficient care was two to three times more likely to be reported by patients with non-melancholic disorders than by matched subjects, but was no more likely to be reported by patients with melancholic disorders, suggesting a risk factor selective for depressive type. Patients who reported markedly deficient care in childhood were more likely to report very poor current intimate relationships. For the remaining patients, however, no evidence of continuity between a dysfunctional parental relationship and a current dysfunctional intimate relationship was found.