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Examining How Romantic Relationship Quality Influences Individual Psychological Distress Over Time for Men and Women

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Abstract

Poor relationship quality can increase an individual’s psychological distress. There is substantial debate regarding the influence of relationship quality for men and women. Some have found that women’s psychological distress is affected more by poor relationship quality compared to men. Others have found that psychological distress is equally affected for men and women, but it may look different—depressive symptoms for women and total alcohol consumption for men. In this study we examined how men and women differed in changes in relationship quality and changes in psychological distress. Then, we examined how changes in one manifestation of psychological distress and changes in relationship quality were related and how this association differed for men and women. Women reported lower initial relationship quality and total alcohol consumption but higher initial depressive symptoms. Men and women only differed on changes in total alcohol consumption, with women decreasing less than men over 25 years. Finally, both changes in total alcohol consumption and changes in depressive symptoms were related to changes in relationship quality for women, but not men. The reverse direction did not differ by gender, although change in depressive symptoms was related to change in relationship quality. Implications for future research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Patricia N. E. Roberson

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, 1404 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Patricia N. E. Roberson & Katherine A. Lenger

  3. Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, 1215 West Cumberland Avenue, 115 Jessie Harris Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Spencer B. Olmstead

Authors
  1. Patricia N. E. Roberson
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  2. Katherine A. Lenger
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  3. Spencer B. Olmstead
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Correspondence to Katherine A. Lenger.

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Roberson, P.N.E., Lenger, K.A. & Olmstead, S.B. Examining How Romantic Relationship Quality Influences Individual Psychological Distress Over Time for Men and Women. J Adult Dev 25, 259–269 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9290-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9290-4

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