Support,Criticism,Emotion and Depressive Symptoms: Gender Differences in the Stress-Depression Relationship

Abstract

It has been suggested that the level of support and criticism provided by significant others is associated with subjects' level of depressive symptoms. The present study was designed with two goals in mind: (1) to examine the relationship between partners' level of support and criticism during a conflict resolution task, and subjects' emotional response; and (2) to assess the relationship between subjects' emotional response, and their level of depressive symptoms. Subjects consisted of 34 community residing couples. Levels of emotional support provided by both males and females were significantly related to the extent to which both partners felt pleased and happy. The emotional-response of males was not significantly related to their level of symptoms. In contrast, the emotional response of females was significantly related to their level of depressive symptoms. Our findings provide preliminary support for a theoretical model in which emotional support affects the emotional response of female partners, which in turn, affects their level of depressive symptomatology.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Beck, A.T. & Steer, R.A. (1987) Beck Depression Inventory Manual. New York: Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Biglan, A. , Hops, H. , Sherman, L. , Friedman, L.S. , Arthur, J. & Osteen, V. (1985) `Problem-solving Interactions of Depressed Women and their Husbands', Behavior Therapy 16: 431-451.

Brown, G.W. & Harris, T. (1978) Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. New York: Free Press.

Dunkel-Schetter, C. , Folkman, S. & Lazarus, R.S. (1987) `Correlates of Social Support Receipt', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 53: 71-80.

Folkman, S. & Lazarus, R.S. (1986) `Stress Processes and Depressive Symptomatology', Journal of Abnormal Psychology 95: 107-113.

Folkman, S. & Lazarus R.S. (1988) `Coping as a Mediator of Emotion', Journal of Social and Personality Psychology 54: 466-475.

Fondacaro, M.R. & Moos, R.H. (1987) `Social Support and Coping: A Longitudinal Analysis', American Journal of Community Psychology 15: 653-673.

Gruen, R.J. (1993) `Stress and Depression: Toward the Development of Integrative Models', in L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (eds) Handbook of Stress, pp. 550-569. New York: Macmillan.

Gruen, R.J. , Folkman S. & Lazarus, R.S. (1987) `Dyadic Response Patterns in Married Couples, Depressive Symptoms, and Somatic Dysfunction', Journal of Family Psychology 1 (2): 168-186.

10.

Gruen, R.J. , Folkman, S. & Lazarus, R.S. (1988) `Centrality and Individual Differences in the Meaning of Daily Hassles', Journal of Personality 56: 743-762.

11.

Hooley, J.M. (1986) `Expressed Emotion and Depression: Interactions between Patients and High- versus Low-Expressed-Emotion Spouses', Journal of Abnormal Psychology 95 (3): 237-246.

12.

Kahn, J.P. , Coyne, J.C. & Margolin, G. (1985) `Depression and Marital Disagreement: The Social Construction of Despair', Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 2: 447-461.

13.

Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1987) `Sex Differences in Unipolar Depression: Evidence and Theory,' Psychological Bulletin 101 (2): 259-282.

14.

Notarius, C.I. & Vanzetti, N.A. (1983) `The Marital Agendas Protocol', in E.E. Filsinger (ed.) Marital and Family Assessment: A Source Book for Family Treatment. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

15.

Ruscher, S.M. & Gotlib, I.H. (1988). `Marital Interaction Patterns of Couples with and without a Depressed Partner', Behavior Therapy 19: 455-470.

16.

Sarason, I.G. , Levine, H.M. , Basham, R.B. , & Sarason, B.R. (1983) `Assessing Social Support: The Social Support Questionnaire', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 44: 127-139.

17.

Turner, R.J. & Avison, W.R. (1989) `Gender and Depression: Assessing Exposure and Vulnerability to Life Events in a Chronically Strained Population', Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 177: 443-455.

18.

Vaughn, C.E. & Leff, J.P. (1976) `The Influence of Family and Social Factors on the Course of Psychiatric Illness: A Comparison of Schizophrenic and Depressed Neurotic Patients', British Journal of Psychiatry 129: 125-137.