Marital Attributions as Moderators of the Marital Discord–Depression Link

Past research has indicated that attributions play a role in the development and maintenance of both depression and marital discord separately; however, few studies have examined how this construct may play a role in the robust relation between depression and marital discord. This study examined three models that may explain this link. First, this study tested two mediational models. One model examined whether attributions mediate the relation between marital distress and depression. The second model examined whether marital distress mediates the relation between marital attributions and depression. The third model examined whether marital attributions moderate the link between marital distress and depressive symptoms. 113 individuals from the community were administered measures of depression and marital functioning as part of a larger study on depression and marriage. Results supported the hypothesis that marital distress mediated the relationship between marital attributions and depression. The study also supported the hypothesis that responsibility attributions moderated the link between marital discord and depression; however, stability/globality attributions did not. Specifically, there was a significantly stronger correlation between marital discord and depression for individuals who made blame–oriented attributions about their partner's negative behaviors than for individuals who did not make blame–oriented attributions about their partner's behaviors. Finally, marital attributions did not mediate the relation between marital distress and discord. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed.