DEPRESSION: ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE ISSUE OF CONTROL BETWEEN MARITAL PARTNERS.
Contributors: University of Pennsylvania.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 190
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Sociology, Individual and Family Studies.
Description: This study was designed to determine what differences, if any, there were between depressed couples', nondepressed psychopathological couples', and surgical couples' perceived control of general life events and marital issues and desire for control of general life events and marital issues. This study tested family systems theory which suggests that a struggle for control marks the relationships of people with psychopathology, in particular those with major depressive disorder.

Three groups of hospitalized patients and their spouses participated as subjects. The patients included those with major depressive disorder, other psychopathology and short-term surgery. The surgical patients and their spouses served as a control gorup. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures. Gender differences and control issues were also investigated.

Major findings were determined in three areas: psychopathology and control, marital partners and control, and gender and control. Depressed patients and patients with other psychopathology had significantly lower perceptions of control of general life events than the surgical patients. The depressed group and the group with other psychopathology had significantly lower perceptions of control of marital issues than the surgical group. The depressed group had significantly higher desire for control of marital issues than the surgical group.

Spouses of depressed patients had perceptions of control of general life events similar to the surgical group and significantly higher than their depressed mates. No significant differences were noted between the spouses across the groups in their percieved control of marital issues or their desire for control of general life events. Spouses across the groups had significantly higher desire for control of marital issues than their mates.

No significant gender differences were noted between the patient groups on three of the four measures. Further study was recommended.

Conclusions were drawn which demonstrated that the elements necessary for a struggle for control between the depressed patients and their spouses were in place. Implications for therapy were discussed.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-02, Section: B, page: 0360.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 1987.

School code: 0175.