Correlates of Depression and Marital Dissatisfaction: Perceptions of Marital Communication Style

Abstract

It has been suggested that variables that predict marital dissatisfaction may also serve to predict depression symptoms, especially in women. The current study explored, in a community sample of married individuals, the associations among marital dissatisfaction, depression symptoms, and perceptions of marital communication styles (i.e., self-silencing and the demand–withdraw communication pattern). Analyses were conducted separately by sex in order to test for expected sex differences. For men and women, depression symptoms were correlated with self-silencing and wife-demand and husband-withdraw communication; furthermore, for women, self-silencing mediated the association between marital dissatisfaction and depression symptoms. As expected, depression symptoms were more highly associated with being in the demanding role for women than for men. Results suggest that perceptions of interactions with one’s spouse, as well as gender-related expectations of how both husband and wife should interact, may be important phenomena to address when considering depression and marital dissatisfaction in both men and women.