Depressive symptoms in early marriage: Predictions from relationship confidence and negative marital interaction.

Whitton, Sarah W.; Olmos-Gallo, P. Antonio; Stanley, Scott M.; Prado, Lydia M; Kline, Galena H.; Peters, Michelle St.; Markman, Howard J.

doi:10.1037/0893-3200.21.2.297

Cited by 69 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Specifically, husbands’ perceived criticism from wives during the initial year of marriage predicted depressive symptoms, whereas wives’ initial perceived criticism from husbands did not significantly predict wives’ depressive symptoms one year later. Perhaps for wives, other overarching features of the relationship, such as overall marital quality or relationship confidence (Whitton et al, 2007), or even other destructive patterns of communication, may be more important than perceived criticism for their mental health during the first years of marriage than perceived criticism. In contrast, perceived criticism is salient for men’s mental health early in marriage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Criticism and Marital Adjustment Predict Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample

et al. 2014

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Depressive symptoms are related to a host of negative individual and family outcomes; therefore, it is important to establish risk factors for depressive symptoms in order to design prevention efforts. Following studies in the marital and psychiatric literatures regarding marital factors associated with depression, we tested two potential predictors of depressive symptoms: marital adjustment and perceived spousal criticism. We assessed 249 spouses from 132 married couples from the community during their first year of marriage and at three time points over the next ten years. Initial marital adjustment significantly predicted depressive symptoms for husbands and wives at all follow-ups. Further, perceived criticism significantly predicted depressive symptoms at the five- and ten-year follow-ups. However, at the one-year follow-up, this association was significant for men but not for women. Finally, a model where the contributions of marital adjustment and perceived criticism were tested together suggested that both play independent roles in predicting future depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential importance of increasing marital adjustment and reducing perceived criticism at the outset of marriage as a way to reduce depressive symptoms during the course of marriage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Criticism and Marital Adjustment Predict Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample

et al. 2014

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“…A sample item is “I believe we can handle whatever conflicts will arise in the future.” Items were rated on a seven-point scale ranging from 1 ( Strongly Disagree ) to 7 ( Strongly Agree ) with higher scores indicating more confidence in the relationship, α = .83 for women and .79 for men. Confidence Scale scores have been shown to be related to other relationship and individual characteristics and outcomes in meaningful ways (see Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2009; Whitton et al, 2007). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of leaders' working alliance in premarital education.

Owen

Rhoades

Stanley

et al. 2011

Journal of Family Psychology

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Premarital (and general relationship) education programs, as a prevention method, have been shown to have a positive effect on marital quality and can prevent divorce. However, it is unclear whether these positive effects are consistent across leaders who conduct premarital education programs. Examining the variability in relationship outcomes attributed to the leaders of premarital education programs, and the role of general therapeutic factors such as working alliance in explaining relationship outcomes, may help increase the effectiveness of these programs. Accordingly, this study examined 31 leaders who trained 118 couples (236 attendees) in a randomized clinical trial of PREP, a research-based and empirically supported premarital education program being compared to a treatment as usual track. The results demonstrated that couples’ relationship outcomes from pre to post training varied based on the leader who provided the premarital education training. Both training in PREP and aggregated leader working alliance quality (as rated by attendees) explained variability between leaders in change in attendees’ observed negative and positive communication. Leaders’ aggregated working alliance quality also explained change in relationship satisfaction. Additionally, attendees’ ratings of their leaders’ working alliance predicted change in their relationship satisfaction and confidence, and attendees had higher positive communication when they reported better working alliance with their leader.

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“…Cronbach’s alpha (α) for dedication was .72. Relationship confidence was measured by combining two items from the Confidence Scale (also see Whitton et al, 2007), “I believe we can handle whatever conflicts will arise in the future” and “I feel good about our prospects to make this relationship work for a lifetime,” assessed on a 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) scale (reverse coded for analyses, r = .54 between the two items, α = .69). For sexual satisfaction , participants rated “We have a satisfying sensual or sexual relationship” on a 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) scale (reverse coded for analyses).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pre-engagement cohabitation effect: A replication and extension of previous findings.

Rhoades¹,

Stanley²,

Markman³

2009

Journal of Family Psychology

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Using a random telephone survey of men and women married within the past 10 years (N = 1050), the current study replicated previous findings regarding the timing of engagement and the premarital cohabitation effect (see Kline et al., 2004). Those who cohabited before engagement (43.1%) reported lower marital satisfaction, dedication, and confidence as well as more negative communication and greater proneness for divorce than those who cohabited only after engagement (16.4%) or not at all until marriage (40.5%). These differences were generally small, but could not be accounted for by length of marriage or by variables often associated with selection into cohabitation (i.e., age, income, education, and religiousness). Similar results were found in a subsample of individuals who cohabited only with the current spouse. There were no significant differences between those who cohabited after engagement and not at all before marriage, supporting a pre-engagement, but not a premarital cohabitation effect.

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Depressive symptoms in early marriage: Predictions from relationship confidence and negative marital interaction.

Cited by 69 publications

References 44 publications

Perceived Criticism and Marital Adjustment Predict Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample

Perceived Criticism and Marital Adjustment Predict Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample

The role of leaders' working alliance in premarital education.

The pre-engagement cohabitation effect: A replication and extension of previous findings.

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