The treatment of depression occurring in the context of marital discord

Abstract

Eight couples in which the wife met criteria for major affective disorder, unipolar type (DSM III 296.2 or 296.3) with no psychotic features, and also presented marital discord as a major problem were randomly assigned to conjoint behavioral marital therapy, individual cognitive therapy, or a wait-list control condition. Symptoms of depression and marital discord were assessed biweekly. Wives receiving behavioral marital therapy or individual cognitive therapy showed clinically significant reductions in depressive symptomatology. Wives receiving behavioral marital therapy showed clinically significant reduction in marital discord but this was not generally true for wives receiving individual cognitive therapy. Both treatments were perceived positively by participants. Although the results must be viewed as preliminary, marital therapy shows considerable promise of alleviating depression as well as reducing marital discord.