Sharing the Blues: Longitudinal Influences of Depression within Couples

Although mental health is a major factor in couple relations, little is known on how depression might be transmitted within couples over long periods of time. This study sought to examine mutual influences of depressive symptoms across 23 years between women with clinical depression and their partners. A longitudinal, observational design employed a sample of 69 mixed-gender couples consisting of women with depression and their partners. Each partner's depressive symptoms were estimated using cross-lagged path models across 10- and 23-year follow-ups, adjusting for income, education, and changes in couple status. Among women with depression at baseline, more depressive symptoms at 10-year follow-up predicted more depressive symptoms in their partners 13 years later, and those partners' depressive symptoms at baseline predicted more depressive symptoms 23 years later among women with baseline depression. These findings demonstrate long-term associations between women with depression and their partners over time, highlighting the importance of accounting for couple context in depression assessment and treatment.