Does depression conciliate in marital adjustment?

Abstract

Marriage is one of the principal facets when it comes to interpersonal context of depression. There is evidence supporting bidirectional casual effect between depression and marital satisfaction. However the phenomenon of marital adjustment and its related variable has not been given much attention in the Pakistan.

Objective

To determine the frequency of marital adjustment in patients with depression.

Method

Depressed patients, who were aged between 15–65 were included. Patients who had documented co morbid of substance use or any unstable serious general medical condition were excluded. The severity of depression was evaluated by using Urdu validated Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Marital adjustment is determined by using Urdu validated version of Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale.

Result

Only 8.6% were well adjusted in their marital life, and all were females. The association of marital adjustment and severity of depression and difference in both genders on KANSAS was insignificant. The longer duration of illness was positively interrelated to the marital adjustment with odd ratio of 7.6. Being employed and above 30 years of age were inversely related to marital satisfaction with odd ratio of 6.1 and 5.4 respectively. However, the correlation between other independent variables and marital adjustment were insignificant in both genders.

Conclusion

This study confirms the presence of high frequency i.e. 91.4% of marital dissatisfaction in depression in both male and females, irrespective of their severity of depression.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied their declaration of competing interest.