Relative Contributions of Relationship Distress and Depression to Communication Patterns in Couples

Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between marital distress and depression. Empirical findings from investigations into the relative contributions of marital distress and depression to marital communication have been inconsistent, and some communication behaviors, such as the demand/withdraw interaction pattern, have yet to be examined. The ability of depression to predict major types of communication (positive communication, negative communication, problem-solving, and demand/withdraw) was analyzed after controlling for the shared variance between marital distress and depression. Across two studies of couples beginning therapy and one study of couples beginning an enhancement program, results failed to provide support for a unique contribution of depression to couples' communication behaviors.