Abstract
The current investigation examines three groups of wives: (1) a group of nondepressed, nondiscordant community wives; (2) a group of nondepressed, discordant clinic wives; and (3) a group of depressed, discordant clinic wives. Groups were formed on the basis of structured interview responses and responses to a self-report inventory of depressive symptomatology. To be classified as depressed, wives were required to meet DSM III criteria for depression according to interview data and to exceed a Beck Depression Inventory score of 14. Both clinic groups showed equal levels of marital discord. Both nondepressed groups showed equally few cognitive errors. Accordingly, comparisons of these three groups allow us to test current interpersonal and cognitive theories of depression. The level of “closeness” in the marriage differentiated the depressed, discordant from the nondepressed, discordant wives despite their equal levels of overall marital discord. The level of depressive symptomatology was greater for the “nondepressed clinic wives than it was for the community wives despite their equal levels of cognitive errors. Both “closeness” in the marriage and cognitive errors accounted for the unique variance in level of depression. Implications for current interpersonal and cognitive accounts of depression are discussed.
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Beach, S.R.H., Nelson, G.M. & O'Leary, K.D. Cognitive and marital factors in depression. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 10, 93–105 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962635
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962635