Anpassung an ein belastendes Ereignis im Paar: Depressionen beim Partner als Risiko für das Auftreten von Anpassungsstörungen

Maladaptive reactions on stressful experiences justifying a diagnosis of adjustment disorder have high prevalence. Little is known about the possible risk for clinically significant maladaptation that results from the social context. The literature on the effects of depression on communication and altered support conditions in couples is suggesting this. Aim of this study was to investigate whether clinically significant depression in the romantic partner is a risk factor for adjustment disorder following a concept of stress-response disorder. Furthermore, from a dimensional point of view a possible positive association between depressive symptoms in the partner and own adjustment symptom was studied. Thereby, own depressive symptoms were controlled for in order to exclude mere depressive contagion and isolate stress-related responses. In an online-couple-study N=294 participants (N=147 couples) reported whether or not they had experienced a stressful event that is still bothering them. N=152 participants reported such an event. N=28 of this group reached the threshold of a possible diagnosis with the screening questionnaire "Adjustment disorder New Module". N=14 romantic partners reported depressive symptoms above the cut-off of the CES-D. The risk for an adjustment disorder is elevated if the female partner reports a clinically significant level of depressive symptoms (OR 7.13). This was only true when female partners were depressed, the depression of male partners did not show any significant associations. Accordingly, dimensionally there is a positive association between depressive symptoms of the female partner and adjustment symptoms of preoccupation (stressor-related repetitive negative thoughts). Depression of the romantic partner seems to be a significant risk factor for maladaptive reactions on a stressful event. This was particularly true for male participants of the study. To sum up, results encourage taking up an interpersonal perspective in research and clinical interventions.