How Couple Relationships Affect Mental Health

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

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