Relationship discord and the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of psychopathology

Abstract

This paper provides a selective review of the literature on the association between poor relationship adjustment (i.e., relationship discord) and the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of psychopathology. Relationship discord has been shown to covary with a variety of psychiatric disorders and predict the incidence of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders and increases in depressive symptoms. The association between relationship discord and psychopathology is moderated by several individual difference variables, including variables that have been shown to increase risk for psychopathology. Relationship discord is associated with poorer outcome to individual-based treatments for several common psychiatric disorders, and couple-based interventions have been shown to reduce depression and substance use as well as improve relationship discord.