Specificity of the Association between Marital Discord and Longitudinal Changes in Symptoms of Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
Abstract
This longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate actor and partner effects of marital discord on changes in symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a large population sample of Irish adults (N = 1,445 couples), adjusting for the potential confounds of quality of other social relationships and other psychopathology symptoms. The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine actor and partner effects of marital discord on changes in symptoms of depression and GAD at a 2‐year follow‐up. Additional models examined these associations adjusting for family and friend discord and symptoms of the other type of psychopathology (depressive or GAD symptoms). Actor effects of marital discord on depressive and anxiety symptoms were greater for men than for women. There were significant, positive actor effects of marital discord on depressive symptoms for husbands and wives, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend discord and GAD symptoms. There were significant, positive actor effects of marital discord on GAD symptoms for husbands, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend discord and depressive symptoms. Results demonstrate that longitudinal associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms (for wives and husbands) and GAD symptoms (for husbands) are incremental to other rival explanations (family and friend discord and the other set of symptoms). Findings provide evidence for a potential causal association leading from marital discord to symptoms of depression and GAD.
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Discord in intimate relationships poses a risk for anxiety to some degree.
“discord in intimate relationships poses a significant risk for depression [58, 59] and, to some degree, anxiety [60].”
From Trajectories of Maternal and Paternal Internalizing Symptoms from Pregnancy to 2 Years Postpartum: Identifying Modifiable Risk and Protective Factors (2024) · cites this paper as [60]
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Intimate Relationships and Depression: Searching for Causation in the Sea of Association
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- Authors
- Whisman, M. A., Robustelli, B. L., & Labrecque, L. T.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Whisman, Mark A.
- Venue
- Family Process
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-03-25
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 649-661
- ISSN
- 0014-7370 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-5300
- OpenAlex
- W2790416300
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 5.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Family Process (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Keywords
- marital conflict, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, actor-partner effects, actor-partner interdependence, gender differences, causal relationship, psychopathology, couples, Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
- MeSH terms
- Patient Health Questionnaire, Adult, Aging, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Female, Humans, Ireland, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Marriage, Sensitivity and Specificity, Spouses, Friends, Family Conflict
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