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Steven R H Beach - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Marital Discord and depression in middle aged and older couples is taxon status associated with depression
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2015Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Steven R H Beach, Briana L Robustelli, Douglas K Snyder, James M HarperAbstract:Although a large literature links relationship Discord with depression, most prior studies have evaluated relationship Discord as a continuous variable and have examined this association in younger couples. Based on findings suggesting that the latent structure of Marital Discord is taxonic, this study evaluated whether taxon status was associated with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older individuals and whether taxon status accounted for unique variance in depressive symptoms, over and above that which was accounted for by continuous measures of Marital quality. This association was examined in a community sample of 502 couples who had been married at least 10 years and in which at least one spouse was 55 to 75 years old. There were statistically significant differences between taxon (Discordant) and complement (nonDiscordant) women and men in depressive symptoms, with Discordant spouses reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms than nonDiscordant spouses. For wives but not for husbands, tax...
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is Marital Discord taxonic and can taxonic status be assessed reliably results from a national representative sample of married couples
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2008Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Steven R H Beach, Douglas K SnyderAbstract:: Addressing potential weaknesses in an earlier investigation, the authors examined the latent structure of Marital Discord using 4 product indicators from the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (Snyder, 1997) in a representative sample of community couples (N = 1,020). Results from 3 taxometric procedures suggested that Marital Discord is taxonic, with an estimated base rate of .31. Cut scores for classifying members of this Marital Discord taxon were identified. Additional analyses with several data sets of community and clinic couples provided evidence that the Marital Discord taxon classification demonstrated good (a) 6-week test-retest reliability, (b) criterion validity (i.e., differences in taxon prevalence in community vs. clinic couples), and (c) construct validity (i.e., correlations with therapist ratings of relationship quality). These results suggest that Discordant couples differ qualitatively and not just quantitatively from nonDiscordant couples and that user friendly methods, suitable for a range of research and clinical applications, can be used to identify Marital Discord.
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the taxometrics of marriage is Marital Discord categorical
Journal of Family Psychology, 2005Co-Authors: Steven R H Beach, Frank D Fincham, Nader Amir, Kenneth E LeonardAbstract:This study used taxometric methods to investigate the latent structure of the construct of Marital adjustment as indexed by the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT; H. J. Locke & K. M. Wallace, 1959). That is, the authors examined whether Marital adjustment is best thought of as a “dimension” of adjustment only or whether there also are categorical differences between “Discordant” and “nonDiscordant” couples. Analyses of data provided by 447 couples married for approximately 2 years provided converging evidence for a latent category of Marital Discord, suggesting that Marital Discord can be viewed as a qualitatively distinct state experienced by approximately 20% of the couples in the current sample. Implications for Marital assessment are outlined. Marital researchers variously characterize couples as Maritally “dissatisfied,” “distressed,” or “Discordant,” often using these terms interchangeably. However, categorizing couples as “Discordant” versus “nonDiscordant” implies that a qualitative distinction can be drawn between distressed and nondistressed couples. Further, categorization itself, regardless of the label used, implies a belief that researchers are able to correctly assign couples to the appropriate category using currently available measures. In the absence of a true criterion measure, this belief may appear either tautological or perhaps merely untestable (Heyman, FeldbauKohn, Ehrensaft, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, & O’Leary, 2001). That is, even though it is conventional to designate a couple as Discordant if the mean couple score is below 97 on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976) or if the summed couple score is 200 or below on the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT; Locke & Wallace, 1959), these cutpoints cannot be shown to be better than any number of other possible alternative cutpoints in the absence of a true criterion. At the same time, one cannot determine the convergent validity of a proposed criterion measure in the absence of nonarbitrary cutpoints on commonly used Marital scales. Accordingly, the Marital area would seem to be in a “Catch 22” situation: We cannot easily proceed with the development of a criterion measure of Marital Discord without identifying nonarbitrary cutpoints for commonly used Marital inventories, but we cannot readily validate particular cutpoints for these measures without a true criterion measure of Marital Discord. Of course, the use of any cutpoint begs the question of whether there really is a qualitatively different state of “Marital Discord” and, if so, whether commonly used Marital adjustment scales provide useful indicators of this qualitatively different state. The answer to this question has profound implications for research and theory in the Marital area. If evidence of a categorical difference between Maritally Discordant and nonDiscordant couples is found, this would provide powerful support for the argument that it is both necessary and desirable to develop a criterion measure of Marital Discord (Heyman et al., 2001). At the same time, if information about the approximate frequency of Marital Discord could be found, this would provide guidance for efforts to develop such a criterion measure. Conversely, because dichotomizing a variable that should be treated as continuous is equivalent to discarding more than a third of one’s sample (Cohen, 1983), if Marital Discord has no latent categorical properties, this would suggest that one should not dichotomize couples into Discordant and nonDiscordant categories. This would also be an argument against the development of a categorical criterion measure of Marital Discord.
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Prospective Effects of Marital Satisfaction on Depressive Symptoms in Established Marriages: A Dyadic Model
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2003Co-Authors: Steven R H Beach, Jennifer Katz, Gene H. BrodyAbstract:Much evidence suggests that Marital Discord is related to depressive symptoms in married couples. In the present research, potential sex-related differences in the prospective effect of Marital Discord on depression were explored. Further, extending previous work, cross-spouse effects (i.e., the associations between one spouse's Marital Discord and his or her partner's later levels of depressive symptoms) were examined. Spouses from randomly sampled married couples (N = 166) with adolescent children provided reports of their Marital quality and depressive symptoms at baseline and one year later. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted. Results revealed that Time 1 Marital quality was associated with Time 2 depressive symptoms, the magnitude of this effect was similar for both husbands and wives, and spouses' own Marital quality at Time 1 predicted their partners' Time 2 depressive symptoms net of other predictors in the model. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
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treating depression in the context of Marital Discord outcome and predictors of response of Marital therapy versus cognitive therapy
Behavior Therapy, 1992Co-Authors: Steven R H Beach, Daniel K OlearyAbstract:Forty five couples in which both partners were complaining of Marital Discord and in which the wife met DSM-III diagnostic criteria for either major depression and/or dysthymia participated in 15–20 treatment sessions. Couples were randomly assigned to Marital therapy (BMT, n=15), individual cognitive therapy for the depressed wife (CBT, n=15), or wait-list control group (WL, n=15). Women in both cognitive therapy and Marital therapy experienced significantly greater reductions in depressive symptomatology than did women in the wait-list control group. In addition women in Marital therapy had significantly greater increases in Marital adjustment than either women in cognitive therapy or women in the wait-list condition. Of special importance in this report, and complimenting our earlier work, were process analyses which indicated that reductions in level of depression among wives in the Marital therapy condition were mediated by increases in Marital adjustment. Further, exploratory analyses suggested that pre-therapy levels of Marital variables and dysfunctional cognitions could predict differential response to Marital therapy and cognitive therapy.
Mark A Whisman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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associations between Marital Discord and depressive symptoms a cross cultural analysis
Family Process, 2020Co-Authors: Julia M Salinger, Mark A Whisman, Ashley K Randall, Peter HilpertAbstract:The objectives of this study were to investigate actor and partner effects of the association between Marital Discord and depressive symptoms in a cross-cultural sample of 4,779 couples from 11 European countries that were divided into 3 groups (i.e., Northern, Central, Southern Europe), and evaluate the potential gender and cross-cultural invariance of this association. Actor-partner interdependence models were used to analyze the cross-sectional associations between self-reported perceived Marital conflict and depressive symptoms. Marital conflict was significantly and positively associated with self-reported depressive symptoms for husbands and wives (actor effects), as well as with partner-reported depressive symptoms (partner effects). Pooling across cultural groups, no significant difference in the magnitude of actor or partner effects based on gender were found. The magnitude of the positive actor association varied across cultural groupings only for women: a significantly weaker association existed for women residing in North Europe relative to women in Central or Southern Europe. These results suggest that Marital Discord is a reliable correlate of depressive symptoms for European couples, and that the magnitude of the positive association varies by culture for women. Should these results be replicated longitudinally, couple-based interventions may be indicated to reduce Marital Discord and prevent and treat depression for Discordant couples in Europe.
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Associations Between Marital Discord and Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.
Family Process, 2020Co-Authors: Julia M Salinger, Mark A Whisman, Ashley K Randall, Peter HilpertAbstract:The objectives of this study were to investigate actor and partner effects of the association between Marital Discord and depressive symptoms in a sample of 4,779 couples from 11 European countries that were divided into three groups (i.e., Northern, Central, Southern Europe), and evaluate the potential gender and cross-cultural invariance of this association. Actor-partner interdependence models were used to analyze the cross-sectional associations between self-reported perceived Marital conflict and depressive symptoms. Marital conflict was significantly and positively associated with self-reported depressive symptoms for husbands and wives (actor effects), as well as with partner-reported depressive symptoms (partner effects). Pooling across cultural groups, no significant difference in the magnitude of actor or partner effects based on gender was found. The magnitude of the actor effects varied across cultural groupings only for women: a significantly weaker association existed for women residing in Northern Europe relative to women in Central or Southern Europe. These results suggest that Marital Discord is a reliable correlate of depressive symptoms for European couples and that the magnitude of the positive association varies by culture for women. Should these results be replicated longitudinally, couple-based interventions may be indicated to reduce Marital Discord and prevent and treat depression in Europe.
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specificity of the association between Marital Discord and longitudinal changes in symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder in the irish longitudinal study on ageing
Family Process, 2018Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Briana L Robustelli, Lindsay T LabrecqueAbstract:: This longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate actor and partner effects of Marital Discord on changes in symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a large population sample of Irish adults (N = 1,445 couples), adjusting for the potential confounds of quality of other social relationships and other psychopathology symptoms. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine actor and partner effects of Marital Discord on changes in symptoms of depression and GAD at a 2-year follow-up. Additional models examined these associations adjusting for family and friend Discord and symptoms of the other type of psychopathology (depressive or GAD symptoms). Actor effects of Marital Discord on depressive and anxiety symptoms were greater for men than for women. There were significant, positive actor effects of Marital Discord on depressive symptoms for husbands and wives, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend Discord and GAD symptoms. There were significant, positive actor effects of Marital Discord on GAD symptoms for husbands, which remained significant when adjusting for family and friend Discord and depressive symptoms. Results demonstrate that longitudinal associations between Marital Discord and depressive symptoms (for wives and husbands) and GAD symptoms (for husbands) are incremental to other rival explanations (family and friend Discord and the other set of symptoms). Findings provide evidence for a potential causal association leading from Marital Discord to symptoms of depression and GAD.
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Marital Discord and depression in middle aged and older couples is taxon status associated with depression
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2015Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Steven R H Beach, Briana L Robustelli, Douglas K Snyder, James M HarperAbstract:Although a large literature links relationship Discord with depression, most prior studies have evaluated relationship Discord as a continuous variable and have examined this association in younger couples. Based on findings suggesting that the latent structure of Marital Discord is taxonic, this study evaluated whether taxon status was associated with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older individuals and whether taxon status accounted for unique variance in depressive symptoms, over and above that which was accounted for by continuous measures of Marital quality. This association was examined in a community sample of 502 couples who had been married at least 10 years and in which at least one spouse was 55 to 75 years old. There were statistically significant differences between taxon (Discordant) and complement (nonDiscordant) women and men in depressive symptoms, with Discordant spouses reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms than nonDiscordant spouses. For wives but not for husbands, tax...
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Marital Discord and suicidal outcomes in a national sample of married individuals
Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 2015Co-Authors: Briana L Robustelli, Anne Trytko, Angela Li, Mark A WhismanAbstract:Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, with an average of 105 suicides committed daily. The association between Marital Discord and 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt was studied in a population-based sample of married adults (N = 1,384). Marital Discord was significantly and positively associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, and these associations remained significant when controlling for demographics and 12-month prevalence of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. RESULTS suggest that Marital Discord is an important correlate of suicidal outcomes and may be important to target in preventing and treating suicide. Language: en
Daniel K Oleary - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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treating depression in the context of Marital Discord outcome and predictors of response of Marital therapy versus cognitive therapy
Behavior Therapy, 1992Co-Authors: Steven R H Beach, Daniel K OlearyAbstract:Forty five couples in which both partners were complaining of Marital Discord and in which the wife met DSM-III diagnostic criteria for either major depression and/or dysthymia participated in 15–20 treatment sessions. Couples were randomly assigned to Marital therapy (BMT, n=15), individual cognitive therapy for the depressed wife (CBT, n=15), or wait-list control group (WL, n=15). Women in both cognitive therapy and Marital therapy experienced significantly greater reductions in depressive symptomatology than did women in the wait-list control group. In addition women in Marital therapy had significantly greater increases in Marital adjustment than either women in cognitive therapy or women in the wait-list condition. Of special importance in this report, and complimenting our earlier work, were process analyses which indicated that reductions in level of depression among wives in the Marital therapy condition were mediated by increases in Marital adjustment. Further, exploratory analyses suggested that pre-therapy levels of Marital variables and dysfunctional cognitions could predict differential response to Marital therapy and cognitive therapy.
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cognitive specificity for Marital Discord and depression what types of cognition influence Discord
Behavior Therapy, 1991Co-Authors: Ruth M Townsley, Frank D Fincham, Steven R H Beach, Daniel K OlearyAbstract:Three cognitive variables; cognitions related to depression, dysfunctional beliefs about marriage, and attributions of blame for spouses' behavior, were examined as correlates of Marital Discord or depression among fifty white women who met DSM-III criteria for unipolar affective disorder or dysthymia and were Maritally Discordant. Marital adjustment correlated with attributions of blame and dysfunctional Marital beliefs whereas depression correlated with depressogenic cognitions only. Regression analyses indicated that attribution of blame was most consequential for Marital Discord while depressogenic cognition was most consequential for depression. Attribution of blame was found to be a plausible mediator of the association between spouses' communication and their Marital adjustment. The results suggest that to enhance the impact of individual therapy on Marital satisfaction it may be necessary to incorporate a direct focus on the types of cognition most strongly related to Marital satisfaction.
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attributions about the Marital Discord depression link and therapy outcome
Behavior Therapy, 1990Co-Authors: Daniel K Oleary, Lawrence P Riso, Steven R H BeachAbstract:Our previously reported between-groups treatment outcome analyses indicated that depressed, Maritally Discordant women became significantly less depressed following either cognitive therapy for depression or Marital therapy. However, only Marital therapy significantly increased Marital satisfaction. Judgments of these depressed women about whether one problem, depression or Marital Discord, preceded or caused the other were unrelated to their final post-treatment depression scores for both cognitive and Marital therapy. However, in the cognitive therapy group, there were significant relationships between both time precedence judgments and attribution about the cause of depression and post treatment Marital Discord. Women in cognitive therapy who believed that their Marital Discord preceded or was the primary cause of their depression were more likely to be Maritally Discordant at posttreatment than women who did not believe that Marital Discord preceded or caused their depression.
Douglas K Snyder - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Marital Discord and depression in middle aged and older couples is taxon status associated with depression
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2015Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Steven R H Beach, Briana L Robustelli, Douglas K Snyder, James M HarperAbstract:Although a large literature links relationship Discord with depression, most prior studies have evaluated relationship Discord as a continuous variable and have examined this association in younger couples. Based on findings suggesting that the latent structure of Marital Discord is taxonic, this study evaluated whether taxon status was associated with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older individuals and whether taxon status accounted for unique variance in depressive symptoms, over and above that which was accounted for by continuous measures of Marital quality. This association was examined in a community sample of 502 couples who had been married at least 10 years and in which at least one spouse was 55 to 75 years old. There were statistically significant differences between taxon (Discordant) and complement (nonDiscordant) women and men in depressive symptoms, with Discordant spouses reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms than nonDiscordant spouses. For wives but not for husbands, tax...
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is Marital Discord taxonic and can taxonic status be assessed reliably results from a national representative sample of married couples
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2008Co-Authors: Mark A Whisman, Steven R H Beach, Douglas K SnyderAbstract:: Addressing potential weaknesses in an earlier investigation, the authors examined the latent structure of Marital Discord using 4 product indicators from the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (Snyder, 1997) in a representative sample of community couples (N = 1,020). Results from 3 taxometric procedures suggested that Marital Discord is taxonic, with an estimated base rate of .31. Cut scores for classifying members of this Marital Discord taxon were identified. Additional analyses with several data sets of community and clinic couples provided evidence that the Marital Discord taxon classification demonstrated good (a) 6-week test-retest reliability, (b) criterion validity (i.e., differences in taxon prevalence in community vs. clinic couples), and (c) construct validity (i.e., correlations with therapist ratings of relationship quality). These results suggest that Discordant couples differ qualitatively and not just quantitatively from nonDiscordant couples and that user friendly methods, suitable for a range of research and clinical applications, can be used to identify Marital Discord.
Jake M. Najman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Family structure, Marital Discord and offspring’s psychopathology in early adulthood: a prospective study
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013Co-Authors: Reza Hayatbakhsh, Alexandra Clavarino, Gail M. Williams, Michael O'callaghan, Jake M. NajmanAbstract:With Marital breakdown and Discord relatively common, we examined whether family structure and the quality of Marital relationship have a long-term impact on offspring’s psychopathology in early adulthood. This study aimed to examine the association of family structure and Marital Discord in the family with a wide range of offspring’s mental health and problem behaviours at 21 years. Data were from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a population based birth cohort study, which commenced in Brisbane, Australia in 1981. Mothers and children were followed up at birth, 6 months and 5, 14 and 21 years after the initial interview. Marital status and Marital quality were assessed at the 14 year follow-up. Young Adult Self-Report sub-scales of mental health and problem behaviours were measured at the 21-year follow-up. Type of family structure and the quality of Marital relationship (at the 14-year follow-up) predicted offspring’s psychopathology at 21 years. When a selected group of confounding factors were included in the multivariate analyses, children who lived with a step-father, un-partnered mother, or in families where parents had conflict in Marital relationship reported higher symptoms of psychopathology at 21 years. The association between Marital problems and young adult psychopathology does not appear to be confounded by a wide range of confounding variables. Further research is needed to explore the mechanism of these associations to develop preventive programmes.
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family structure Marital Discord and offspring s psychopathology in early adulthood a prospective study
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013Co-Authors: Reza Hayatbakhsh, Alexandra Clavarino, Gail M. Williams, Michael Ocallaghan, Jake M. NajmanAbstract:With Marital breakdown and Discord relatively common, we examined whether family structure and the quality of Marital relationship have a long-term impact on offspring’s psychopathology in early adulthood. This study aimed to examine the association of family structure and Marital Discord in the family with a wide range of offspring’s mental health and problem behaviours at 21 years. Data were from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a population based birth cohort study, which commenced in Brisbane, Australia in 1981. Mothers and children were followed up at birth, 6 months and 5, 14 and 21 years after the initial interview. Marital status and Marital quality were assessed at the 14 year follow-up. Young Adult Self-Report sub-scales of mental health and problem behaviours were measured at the 21-year follow-up. Type of family structure and the quality of Marital relationship (at the 14-year follow-up) predicted offspring’s psychopathology at 21 years. When a selected group of confounding factors were included in the multivariate analyses, children who lived with a step-father, un-partnered mother, or in families where parents had conflict in Marital relationship reported higher symptoms of psychopathology at 21 years. The association between Marital problems and young adult psychopathology does not appear to be confounded by a wide range of confounding variables. Further research is needed to explore the mechanism of these associations to develop preventive programmes.