The role of marital power in depression and marital distress

Although research has established a clear relationship between depression and marital distress, the causal direction of this relationship cannot be determined from the existing data. Drawing on sex role theory, the learned helplessness model of depression, and a review of empirical research, this article explores inequity in marital power as a potential third variable that explains how depression and the quality of the marriage are related. The aim of the article is to generate more broadminded thinking about how marital power, depression, and marital distress are interrelated.