Physical Aggression and Depressive Symptoms: Gender Asymmetry in Effects?

Abstract

The incremental importance of low-level physically aggressive behavior in predicting later depressive symptoms was examined in a community sample of intact first-time marriages with children. For wives, physically aggressive behavior predicted later depressive symptoms. No similar effect was found for husbands. In addition, husbands’ psychological aggression moderated the effect of their own physically aggressive behavior on wives’ later depressive symptoms. Wives’ psychological aggression did not moderate the effect of their own physically aggressive behavior on husbands’ later depression. Results suggest that marital models should incorporate the role of physical aggression in accounting for wives’ depressive symptoms and allow for the possibility of gender asymmetry in effects.

Measurement and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Expectant First-Time Parents

“…The associations between violence and mental health in this study were also consistent with our predictions and previous research (e.g., Bogat et al, 2005; Campbell, 2002; Cano & Vivian, 2003; Gordis et al, 2005; Johnson & Ferraro, 2000; Martin et al, 2006). That violence was more consistently related to mental health problems among women than among men in both the full and subsamples is consistent with prior work showing that violence, even when mutually perpetrated, tends to have stronger psychological implications for women than for men (Anderson, 2002; Beach et al, 2004). This finding is important because it suggests that gender symmetry in violent behavior, which characterizes common couple violence, does not necessarily imply symmetry in the sequelae of violence perpetration or victimization (Anderson, 2002).…”

Alcohol use, alcohol problems, and depressive symptomatology among newly married couples

“…Cano and O'Leary (2000) reported that women who acknowledged humiliating marital events, specifically, husbands' infidelity and threats of separation, were more likely to be diagnosed with a current major depression than women who, despite similar levels of marital discord, had not suffered a humiliating marital event. Marital aggression has also been linked to depressive symptoms (Beach et al, 2004), and desistance of marital aggression is associated with decreases in wives' depression (Quigley and Leonard, 2000). The present study indicates that alcohol problems specific to the marital relationship are predictive of wives' depression, but that this relationship does not extend to heavy drinking or more general alcohol problems, nor does it extend to husbands' depression.…”

“…For example, Cronkite and Moos (1984) examined the relation between alcohol use and depressive symptoms in a sample of 267 married couples and found that husbands' alcohol consumption was positively associated with wives' depressive symptoms, but that no relation existed between wives' alcohol consumption and husbands' depressive symptoms. In addition, it is worth noting that a similar gender difference has been observed with respect to husband's physical aggression (Beach et al, 2004). The reason for this asymmetry is not clear.…”

Affective Disorders

“…Research addressing the association between marital quality and depression is likely to provide a conservative estimate of the association between marital functioning and depression, however, because these studies do not consider all aspects of marital functioning that may be associated with depression. For example, physical conflict with a spouse has been found to predict increased depressive symptoms over time for wives, controlling for earlier symptoms and earlier marital satisfaction (Beach et al., 2004), as have humiliating events occurring in the marital relationship (Cano & O’Leary, 2000), and these aspects of relationship functioning are not always fully captured by measures of marital adjustment or satisfaction. At the same time, the fact that there is a wide range of marital and family circumstances among depressed individuals, with some reporting relationship distress and others not reporting relationship distress, poses a challenge to couple‐ and family‐based interventions for depression: how can we tell who needs couple or family intervention and how should services differ for those who report marital distress (or parenting problems) and those who do not report distress?…”