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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Depressive experience and romantic relationships in young adulthood
T L Morrison1, A J Urquiza, B L Goodlin-Jones
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA. tlmorrison@ucdavis.edu
Psychological Reports
|April 1, 1998
Summary
Self-criticism, a factor of depressive experience, is linked to lower relationship satisfaction and sexual dissatisfaction in adults. Attachment security also influences overall relationship distress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Depressive experiences, including dependency and self-criticism, can impact interpersonal functioning.
- Adult romantic relationships are crucial for well-being and are often affected by psychological factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between depressive experiences (dependency, self-criticism) and satisfaction in adult romantic relationships.
- To explore the predictive roles of self-criticism, attachment security, and attachment activation on relationship distress.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, attachment measures, and relationship satisfaction scales.
- Collected data from 107 men and 140 women in adult romantic relationships.
- Utilized regression analyses to examine predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- Self-criticism was significantly associated with global relationship distress and sexual dissatisfaction.
- Self-criticism, attachment security, and attachment activation collectively predicted general relationship distress.
- Self-criticism emerged as the sole significant predictor of sexual dissatisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Self-criticism is a key factor contributing to dissatisfaction in adult romantic relationships, particularly sexual dissatisfaction.
- Attachment dimensions also play a role in overall relationship distress.
- Findings align with theories suggesting perfectionism's destructiveness in relational contexts.
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