Dyadic effects of work overcommitment on depression in dual-earner couples: based on the actor-partner...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Mental Health

Background:

• Dual-earner couples face unique stressors impacting mental well-being.
• Overcommitment to work can negatively affect individual and relationship health.
• Understanding the interplay of overcommitment, exhaustion, and depression is crucial for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the actor and partner effects of overcommitment on depression in dual-earner couples.
• To examine the mediating role of emotional exhaustion in the overcommitment-depression link.
• To explore gender differences in these actor and partner effects.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Involved 172 dual-earner couples in Chongqing, China.
• Utilized self-report measures for overcommitment, emotional exhaustion, and depression.

Main Results:

• Overcommitment significantly predicted depression for both husbands and wives (actor effect).
• A wife's overcommitment positively predicted her husband's depression (partner effect), but not vice versa.
• Emotional exhaustion mediated the actor effects for both genders and the partner effect from wife to husband.

Conclusions:

• Overcommitment is a significant risk factor for depression in dual-earner couples.
• Emotional exhaustion plays a critical mediating role, highlighting its importance in the stress process.
• Findings underscore the interdependent nature of mental health within couples and reveal gender-specific patterns.