The Associations Between Depressive Symptoms, Excessive Reassurance‐Seeking, and the Quality of Romantic Relationships in Young Adult Couples: A Dyadic Longitudinal Mediation Model

This study used a dyadic mediation model to examine actor and partner effects in the associations between depressive symptoms and the quality of romantic relationships, both directly and indirectly via excessive reassurance‐seeking. A total of 105 heterosexual young adult couples participated in a three‐wave longitudinal study (waves 1‐month apart) through the Prolific platform. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, excessive reassurance‐seeking, and multiple dimensions of romantic relationship qualities at each time point. After controlling for autoregressive and reciprocal effects, several direct and indirect actor and partner effects emerged. Direct actor effects were only significant for men (not women), showing that when men reported higher depressive symptoms at Time 1, they experienced greater companionship, intimate disclosure, and emotional support at Time 3. Direct partner effects were significant for both women and men, indicating that when women reported higher depressive symptoms at Time 1, their partners experienced less companionship and satisfaction at Time 3. However, when men reported higher depressive symptoms at Time 1, their partners reported receiving less criticism at Time 3. In terms of indirect effects, depressive symptoms in men at Time 1 predicted their higher reassurance‐seeking at Time 2, which, in turn, predicted increased partners' perceptions of being criticized and excluded at Time 3 (actor–partner effects). Conversely, depressive symptoms in women at Time 1 predicted higher partners' reassurance‐seeking at Time 2, which, in turn, predicted decreased women's perceptions of being criticized and excluded at Time 3 (partner–partner effects). These findings highlight the complex interpersonal dynamics of depressive symptoms in young adult romantic relationships and suggest that men's excessive reassurance‐seeking may be one potential pathway linking individuals' depressive symptoms with their own and their partners' perceptions and behaviors within romantic relationships.