Mental Health and Interpersonal Well-being: Positive Sharing as a Mediator Between Depression and Couple Satisfaction

Abstract

Mental health problems tend to have impact on the social reality of the affected individual. Depressive symptoms are associated with worsened couple satisfaction. The aim of this study is to explore the role positive sharing within the couple. Possibly, the decrease of this positive couple process in the context of depression is mediating the link with couple satisfaction. In an online study, 211 couples filled in questionnaires regarding the sharing or disclosure of positive experiences with the partner, depressive symptoms, and couple satisfaction. Structural equation based Actor Partner Interdependence Models reveal the expected intrapersonal associations between depression and couple satisfaction which is partially mediated by positive sharing. The weak associations between the partner’s depressive symptoms and own couple satisfaction are mediated by decreased positive sharing. Positive sharing in the couple might be an important way of interpersonal emotion regulation which suffers in depressive states and in turn affects relationship quality. This implicates that fostering positive couple processes may prevent possible adverse social correlates of mental health problems.