Transactional Relations Between Marital Functioning and Depressive Symptoms

The present study investigated dynamic, longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and marital processes. Two hundred and ninety-six couples reported on marital satisfaction, marital conflict, and depressive symptoms annually for 3 years. Observational measures of marital conflict were also collected. Results suggested that different domains of marital functioning related to husbands' versus wives' symptoms. For husbands, transactional relations between marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms were identified: High levels of depressive symptoms predicted subsequent decreases in marital satisfaction, and decreased marital satisfaction predicted subsequent elevations in depressive symptoms over time. For wives, high levels of marital conflict predicted subsequent elevations in depressive symptoms over time. Cross-partner results indicated that husbands' depressive symptoms were also related to subsequent declines in wives' marital satisfaction. Results are discussed with regard to theoretical perspectives on the marital functioning-depression link and directions for future research are outlined.