The Role of Attachment Behaviors in the Link between Relationship Satisfaction and Depression in Clinical Couples: Implications for Clinical Practice
Keywords
attachment behaviors, depression, relationship satisfaction, dyadic, data, mediation mod
Abstract
Using dyadic, clinical data from 104 couples in committed relationships, the purpose of this study was to determine whether relationship satisfaction was associated with depression through perceived partner attachment behaviors—accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement—for both men and women. We found that one's satisfaction in the relationship was the lens through which they viewed their partner's attachment behaviors and—women's relationship satisfaction was the lens through which her male partner viewed her attachment behaviors. Finally, women's relationship satisfaction is associated with both individuals' depression through her perceived partner's accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement. The findings from this study are important because they provide clinically relevant and mutable constructs in which clinicians can intervene at an attachment level in distressed marriages with depressed partners.
Original Publication Citation
Novak, J., Sandberg, J., Davis, S. (2017). The Role of Attachment Behaviors in the Link between Relationship Satisfaction and Depression in Clinical Couples: Implications for clinical practice. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(2), 352-363.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Novak, Josh; Sandberg, Jonathan G.; and Davis, Stephanie Y., "The Role of Attachment Behaviors in the Link between Relationship Satisfaction and Depression in Clinical Couples: Implications for Clinical Practice" (2016). Faculty Publications. 2386.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/2386
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2016-11-04
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5238
Publisher
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Family Life
Copyright Status
© 2016 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy