Co-Rumination, Marital Satisfaction, and Depression: A Case of Married Men and Women in Pakistan

The current study examined co-rumination among married men and women and its influence on their reports of marital quality and depressive symptoms. Data were collected online through social media from 78 married men and 78 married women resulting in a total sample of 156 individuals residing in urban centers in Pakistan. Each participant had been married for at least one year, was at least 18 years old, and lived with their marital partner at the time of the survey. Although the results from multiple regression analyses revealed an increase in co-rumination was related to a decrease in the levels of depression, the moderating effect of the sex of participants indicated that the negative relationship between co-rumination and depression was only significant for married women. Furthermore, co-rumination was positively associated with marital relationship satisfaction. The findings suggest that that co-rumination with one’s spouse has implications for improved mental health and marital satisfaction among married men and women in Pakistani families.