Couples’ perceptions of each other’s depressive symptoms: Empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias

Abstract

The link between depressive symptoms and relationship functioning has been well-documented. Evidence for affective concordance in depressive symptoms between partners suggests that couples are aware of each other’s mood and symptoms; however, there have been no direct tests of the extent to which couples accurately perceive their partner’s mental health. The present study assessed spouses’ empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias in rating each other’s depressive symptoms using the truth and bias actor-partner interdependence model for indistinguishable dyads. We hypothesized that husbands and wives would show significant assumed similarity but not significant empathic accuracy when rating their partner’s depressive symptoms. Participants were 55 racially and ethnically diverse heterosexual couples (N = 110 individuals) with a child between the ages of 10–16 recruited from the community. Results did not provide evidence for empathic accuracy in rating a spouse’s depressive symptoms. Instead, we found significant assumed similarity, such that ratings of a spouse’s depressive symptoms were associated with one’s own level of depressive symptoms. We also found evidence of directional bias, such that, on average, spouses overestimated each other’s level of depressive symptoms. These preliminary findings suggest that couples may not be particularly attuned to their partner’s subjective ratings of depression-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Future research should explore the processes accounting for partners’ perceptions of each other’s mental health, and the impact of these perceptions on relationship functioning.