Interactions of Couples with and without a Depressed Spouse: Self-Report and Observations of Problem-Solving Situations

Abstract

Couples in which the wife was either clinically depressed (depressed couples) or non-depressed (non-depressed couples) participated in a videotaped problem-solving interaction and completed a number of self-report measures of mood, family life and perceptions of the marital interaction. Depressed couples, and particularly depressed wives, perceived their family life to be more negative than did non-depressed couples. Depressed wives also became increasingly negative in their verbal behaviour over the course of the interaction. Depressed couples perceived the marital interactions to be more hostile, less friendly and more dominated by their partners than did non-depressed couples. Interestingly, further analyses indicated that only the depressed couples appeared to be immediately reactive to their spouses' behaviours in the interactions. These results are discussed with respect to interpersonal models of depression, and directions for further research are advanced.