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Sexual minority individuals experience depression at a disproportionately higher rate than their heterosexual peers. One predictor of depression is low romantic relationship satisfaction, and research on different-sex couples demonstrates that one's own and one's partner's levels of relationship satisfaction are negatively associated with one's own level of depressive symptoms (i.e., actor and partner effects, respectively). However, little research has explored partner effects of relationship satisfaction on depression in same-sex couples. Furthermore, little is known regarding the degree to which relationship satisfaction is associated with depression in same-sex couples, over and above their shared association with demographic characteristics and internalized heterosexism, a known correlate of both relationship satisfaction and depression. This study examined cross-sectional actor and partner effects of relationship satisfaction on depressive symptoms in a sample of 102 same-sex couples (68 female), and evaluated whether these effects were significant when adjusting for sex, relationship length, and internalized heterosexism. Multilevel analyses were conducted to estimate actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) effects for indistinguishable dyads. Results indicated that (a) there were statistically significant actor and partner effects for relationship satisfaction on depressive symptoms, such that higher levels of relationship satisfaction were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and (b) actor and partner effects for relationship satisfaction remained statistically significant when adjusting for sex, relationship length, and actor and partner effects for internalized heterosexism. Furthermore, there were statistically significant actor (but not partner) effects for internalized heterosexism on depressive symptoms, such that higher levels of internalized heterosexism were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Sexual and gender minority individuals assigned female at birth (SGM-AFAB) are at increased risk for anxiety, depression, and substance use and problems compared with heterosexual cisgender women. Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that minority stressors are associated with anxiety, depression, and substance use. However, longitudinal research is limited and the examination of prospective associations between minority stressors, mental health, and substance use is even more sparse., Method: We utilized 4 waves of data (6 months between waves) from a diverse (26.0% non-Latinx White; 26.2% gender minorities) longitudinal cohort of 488 SGM-AFAB (16- to 32-years-old at Wave 1) to examine concurrent and prospective associations between 3 minority stressors (internalized stigma, microaggressions, victimization) and anxiety, depression, and alcohol and cannabis use and problems., Results: At the within-person level, results indicated that when SGM-AFAB experienced more minority stressors than usual, they reported more concurrent and prospective anxiety and depression. Additionally, when SGM-AFAB experienced more microaggressions than usual, they were more likely to use alcohol and cannabis, and when they experienced more victimization than usual, they reported more concurrent alcohol and cannabis use problems. No prospective associations between minority stressors and substance use were significant., Conclusions: Findings indicate that minority stressors were consistently associated with internalizing symptoms, both concurrently and prospectively, while evidence for associations between minority stressors and substance use/problems was less consistent. These findings highlight the need for interventions that that teach SGM-AFAB skills for effectively coping with minority stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Extending research that was based on married adults, we explored associations between romantic relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms in a sample of 484 emerging adults (ages 18-25) in nonmarital dating relationships. In addition, we investigated whether the relationship characteristics of relationship length, interdependence (i.e., investment size and quality of alternatives) and commitment moderated these associations. Overall, there was a negative association between relationship quality and depressive symptoms that was stronger for emerging adult women than men, echoing findings from married adults. The extent to which relationship characteristics moderated this association generally differed by gender. For men, the negative association between satisfaction and depressive symptoms was moderate to strong in relationships of above-average interdependence, commitment, and length, but it was weak in shorter and less interdependent relationships and nonexistent in relatively uncommitted relationships. In contrast, for women, the association between relationship satisfaction and symptoms was moderate to strong at all levels of interdependence and commitment, although amplified at higher commitment levels. Interestingly, shorter relationship length was associated with a stronger association between satisfaction and depressive symptoms for women. In general, findings suggest the importance of romantic relationship quality to the emotional well being of emerging adults, particularly young women, and highlight gender differences in relationship processes during this life period., ((c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.)

In this study, we explored whether the degree of temporal instability in relationship satisfaction might add to our understanding of the well-documented association between relationship quality and depression. We hypothesized that greater relationship satisfaction instability would be associated with higher depressive symptoms, controlling for mean satisfaction levels. We conducted 12 weekly assessments of relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms in a sample of 131 cohabiting and married women, and used intraindividual standard deviations of scores over the 12 weeks as an index of instability. Results indicated that, as hypothesized, relationship satisfaction instability predicted variance in depressive symptoms beyond that predicted by mean satisfaction; women whose weekly relationship satisfaction fluctuated more widely tended to have higher depressive symptoms. In comparison, temporal instability in depressive symptoms did not predict variance in relationship satisfaction beyond that predicted by mean depressive symptoms. Prospective analyses tentatively suggested that satisfaction instability may precede rather than follow elevated depressive symptoms. Results suggest the utility of assessing relationship satisfaction instability in future studies exploring links between marital quality and depression.

The authors proposed a model of depressive symptoms in early marriage in which relationship confidence, defined as perceived couple-level efficacy to manage conflicts and maintain a healthy relationship, mediates the effect of negative marital interactions on depressive symptoms. The model was tested in a sample of 139 couples assessed prior to marriage and 1 year later. As predicted, relationship confidence demonstrated simple negative associations with negative marital interaction and depressive symptoms for all participants. Longitudinal path analyses supported the mediational model for women only. In women but not men, negative marital interaction indirectly had an impact on depressive symptoms through the mediator of relationship confidence. Findings suggest that relationship confidence may be important to understanding links between marital distress and depressive symptoms, especially in women.