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Marital functioning and depressive symptoms: evidence for a stress generation model
J Davila1, T N Bradbury, C L Cohan
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1563, USA. davila@psych.ucla.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 5, 1997
Summary
Depression can increase marital stress, particularly for wives, through social support interactions. This marital stress then further fuels depressive symptoms, creating a challenging cycle.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Depressive symptoms can negatively impact relationships.
- The stress generation model explains how individuals create interpersonal stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test C.L. Hammen's stress generation model in marriage.
- To examine the role of social support in the link between depression and marital stress.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 154 newlywed couples.
- Assessed depressive symptoms, marital stress, and social support (perceptions and behavior) over one year.
Main Results:
- Evidence of marital stress generation was found in wives.
- Social support processes mediated stress generation for wives.
- A cyclical relationship between dysphoria and stress was observed in wives.
Conclusions:
- Depressive symptoms contribute to marital stress in wives.
- Social support dynamics play a key role in this stress generation process.
- Findings highlight the cyclical nature of depression and marital stress for wives.