Risk for Partner Victimization and Marital Dissatisfaction Among Chronically Depressed Patients

• NCJ Number: 239384
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 27 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2012 Pages: 75-85
• Author(s): Heather M. Foran; Dina Vivian; K. Daniel O'Leary; Daniel N. Klein; Barbara O. Rothbaum; Rachel Manber; Martin B. Keller; James H. Kocsis; Michael E. Thase; Madhukar H. Trivedi
• Date Published: January 2012
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the link between partner violence and depressive symptoms.

Abstract

The link between marital dysfunction and depressive symptoms has been well established, but the link between partner violence and depressive symptoms is less clear. Further, little is known about partner violence and marital satisfaction in chronically depressed patients. In this multi-site treatment sample of chronically depressed patients (N=316), approximately 17 percent of men and 12 percent of women reported experiencing physical victimization from their partner in the past year. However, physical victimization was not associated with the severity of depression for men or women. Cross-sectional path analyses indicated that depressive symptoms predicted marital dissatisfaction, which in turn, predicted psychological victimization. Further, psychological victimization predicted physical victimization. With chronically depressed individuals, interventions that address both depression and marital dissatisfaction may prevent psychological and physical victimization. (Published Abstract)