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Behavioral Sciences
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How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health
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How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 7328

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Suzanne Bartle-Haring

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1172, USA
Interests: dyadic data analyses; couple relationship process; relationship satisfaction; quantitative analyses; structural racism; couple and family therapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is ample evidence that relationships matter for both physical and mental health. The relationship between romantic partners (i.e., spouses and significant others) seems to have implications for several mental health issues, specifically depressive symptoms. There is debate in the field about the direction of the association. That is, do depressive symptoms in one partner lead to a decrease in relationship satisfaction, or does a decrease in relationship satisfaction lead to depressive symptoms? Much of the literature available includes only one member of the pair, and there is continuing debate about how best to measure relationship satisfaction.

In this Special Issue, authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that include dyadic data on couple relationships and mental health outcomes, with a special emphasis on papers that include more nuanced ways of assessing relationship processes (i.e., positive and negative aspects of the relationship and their interaction; observational coding; and daily diary studies). Studies that include clinical populations and/or longitudinal studies, as well as same-sex couples, are also encouraged. 

Prof. Dr. Suzanne Bartle-Haring
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • couple relationship processes
  • depression
  • dyadic data analyses
  • moderation
  • relationship satisfaction
  • couple therapy outcome
  • mental health

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 918 KiB  
Article
Emotion Regulation Difficulties as a Mediator Between Relationship Satisfaction Predicting Depressive Symptom Trajectories Among Couples in Couple Therapy
by Preston C. Morgan, Andrea K. Wittenborn, Garrin L. Morlan and Ryan Snyder
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1215; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121215 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1331
Abstract
Although adults with depression struggle to effectively emotionally regulate themselves, these findings are limited to one partner in a romantic relationship, community samples, and cross-sectional designs. Hence, we aimed to address these gaps in the literature by investigating emotion regulation difficulties as a [...] Read more.
Although adults with depression struggle to effectively emotionally regulate themselves, these findings are limited to one partner in a romantic relationship, community samples, and cross-sectional designs. Hence, we aimed to address these gaps in the literature by investigating emotion regulation difficulties as a predictor of change in depression among couples in couple therapy. Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether emotion regulation difficulties mediated the well-established association between relationship satisfaction and changes in depression of couples in couple therapy. We examined 484 different-sex couples in couple therapy from the Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network—a clinical dataset from clinics across the United States. Dyadic latent growth models revealed the actor and partner effects of emotion regulation difficulties at session 1, predicting decreases in depression trajectories across 16 sessions of couple therapy. Additionally, dyadic latent growth mediation models revealed that emotion regulation difficulties at session four did not mediate the associations between relationship satisfaction at session 1 with depression trajectories of sessions eight through 16. For couple therapy clinicians, emotion regulation difficulties can play a direct role in the treatment of depression. However, our results did not support emotion regulation difficulties as a mediator for the well-established association between relationship satisfaction and depression trajectories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health)
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17 pages, 1138 KiB  
Article
Destructive and Constructive Interparental Conflict, Parenting Stress, Unsupportive Parenting, and Children’s Insecurity: Examining Short-Term Longitudinal Dyadic Spillover and Crossover Process
by Uiju Lee and Young-Eun Lee
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121212 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1182
Abstract
Based on emotional security, stress, and spillover and crossover theories, this study aimed to examine the indirect pathways between destructive and constructive interparental conflict, parenting stress, unsupportive parenting, and child insecurity six months later. Using data from two time points beginning when Korean [...] Read more.
Based on emotional security, stress, and spillover and crossover theories, this study aimed to examine the indirect pathways between destructive and constructive interparental conflict, parenting stress, unsupportive parenting, and child insecurity six months later. Using data from two time points beginning when Korean children (N = 159) were approximately 3–5 years old, two dual-mediation models of the relevant variables were constructed. The results indicate that destructive conflict is associated with higher levels of parenting stress, whereas constructive conflict is associated with lower levels of stress. Furthermore, mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress influenced their own unsupportive parenting behaviors, which, in turn, influenced their children’s insecurity, suggesting a spillover effect. However, the crossover effect and mediation analyses provided partial support for various pathways of the hypotheses. By examining both destructive and constructive conflict, including both maternal and paternal variables, and examining not only spillover but also crossover effects, this study highlights that while constructive conflict may reduce parental stress and unsupportive parenting behaviors, the negative effects of destructive conflict may affect children more strongly. Particularly, by examining the spillover and crossover effects in the unique cultural context of Korean families, this study provides important insights into interparental conflict’s impact on child development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health)
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14 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
Relationship Satisfaction, Attachment, and Perinatal Depression in Women of Color: A Quantitative Investigation
by Reihaneh Mahdavishahri and Dumayi Gutierrez
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121142 - 28 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1507
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among relationship satisfaction, perceived attachment injury, and perinatal depression for Women of Color (WOC) who have given birth within the last 12 months. In addition, this study aimed to examine the impact of [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among relationship satisfaction, perceived attachment injury, and perinatal depression for Women of Color (WOC) who have given birth within the last 12 months. In addition, this study aimed to examine the impact of relationship satisfaction and romantic attachment quality on these mothers’ attachments to their newborns. The sample consisted of 120 WOC with perinatal depression. Linear regression and hierarchical multiple regression were used for data analysis. The results indicated that (a) lower relationship satisfaction is predicted with higher severity of perinatal depression, (b) attachment insecurity predicts the severity of perinatal depression, and (c) relationship dissatisfaction, attachment insecurity, and a disrupted attachment bond between mothers and their newborns are predictive of perinatal depression. The results of this study have significant implications for couple and family therapists addressing the needs of pregnant and postpartum WOC. Ultimately, fostering healthy couple relationships during these critical times can play a crucial role in enhancing maternal mental health and overall family wellbeing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health)
12 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and Relationship Satisfaction: A Daily Diary Study
by Heather A. Love and Preston Morgan
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121138 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 912
Abstract
Romantic relationships serve as one of the most important relationships in adults’ lives, yet the influence of relational dynamics on suicide ideation (SI) is limited and longitudinal associations are unclear. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide has been applied to romantic relationships broadly and [...] Read more.
Romantic relationships serve as one of the most important relationships in adults’ lives, yet the influence of relational dynamics on suicide ideation (SI) is limited and longitudinal associations are unclear. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide has been applied to romantic relationships broadly and supports motivations of suicide (thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness) and relationship satisfaction to be predictors of SI. An online daily diary study (n = 94 adults) was conducted to examine romantic relationship dynamics and mental health indicators in adults over 10 days. Multilevel growth modeling results revealed that higher perceived burdensomeness, but not relational satisfaction or thwarted belonging, was associated with higher initial levels of SI. However, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belonging, and relationship satisfaction were not associated with rates of change in SI over time. Further, no interaction effects between either relationship satisfaction and thwarted belonging or perceived burdensomeness were found in association with trajectories of SI over the 10-day period. The results of this study indicate that relational satisfaction, through a commonly used global assessment of relational wellbeing, may not have a substantial influence on SI, particularly in individuals with mild SI levels. This may be due to relational satisfaction being relatively consistent, while SI is prone to short-term fluctuations. However, additional research is recommended to address other relational dynamics’ influences on SI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health)
14 pages, 1358 KiB  
Article
The Interaction of Positive and Negative Relationship Characteristics and Their Association with Relationship and Individual Health Outcomes in Older Couples
by Suzanne Bartle-Haring, Jie Hu, Lorraine Mion and Millie Ash
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111017 - 1 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1196
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how positive and negative relationship characteristics and their interaction were predictive of global relationship happiness, psychological symptoms, and physical health in a large sample of older couples. The NSHAP Wave 2 partner data n = [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to examine how positive and negative relationship characteristics and their interaction were predictive of global relationship happiness, psychological symptoms, and physical health in a large sample of older couples. The NSHAP Wave 2 partner data n = 955) were used to estimate both actor (within person) and partner (between person) effects using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model with Moderation. Global relationship happiness was predicted by the interaction of positive and negative characteristics, suggesting that more positive characteristics are only predictive of greater happiness in the presence of some negative characteristics. Male partners’ depressive symptoms were predicted by the female partners’ interaction of positive and negative characteristics, suggesting that negative characteristics were only associated with male partner depressive symptoms when positive characteristics were rated very low by their partner. Positive and negative characteristics were predictive of anxiety and stress but not their interaction, and only the male partner’s perception of positive characteristics was predictive of the female partner’s physical health. These results are discussed in the context of controversy over the measurement of relationship satisfaction in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health)
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