Dimensions of Couples' Relationship Functioning That Predict Mental Health

Romantic relationships can both enhance and hinder individuals’ mental health depending on the quality of the relationship. Married individuals report greater life satisfaction and less depression compared to single individuals yet those in lower-quality marriages do not show these same benefits. Indeed, marital problems have been identified as one of the major pathways of depression for both women and men. Further, relationships are multi-dimensional and include distinct components, such as personal feelings of satisfaction, power dynamics, communication style, and intimacy. However, researchers rarely assess multiple dimensions of relationship functioning within the same study. Thus, it’s unclear which specific dimensions of relationship functioning are most predictive of individual’s mental health, and therefore, are the best targets for preventive interventions and clinical practice aimed at improving the mental health of individuals in romantic relationships.

Couples raising an autistic child face additional challenges that may compromise both

their relationships and their mental health; yet they are often neglected in couples’ research. One study reported that couples with autistic children reported less relationship satisfaction when compared to couples of children without any disability, or even couples raising a child with a different intellectual or developmental disability. Thus, there is a critical need to include these couples in research on relationship functioning.

Chrystyna Kouros PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Southern Methodist University, and Naomi V. Ekas, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas Christian University, are using an MRI grant to explore the relationships of couples with either non-autistic or autistic children. Their specific questions are: 1) To what extent are there mean level differences in dimensions of relationship functioning among couples with a non-autistic child vs. an autistic child? 2) To what extent do different dimensions of relationship functioning (e.g., satisfaction, communication style, conflict resolution behavior, intimacy, attachment patterns, power dynamics) uniquely predict depressive symptoms? Do these associations differ between couples raising a non-autistic child and couples raising an autistic child? The study is using a multi-method approach for assessing relationship functioning, including self-report questionnaires as well as observational measures.

Taken together, this research has a high likelihood of generating knowledge that will improve human relationships by advancing scientific theory on the unique aspects of romantic relationships that are associated with mental health outcomes, especially regarding couples with autistic children. In addition, this research will inform clinicians on which specific thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to target in preventive interventions, as well as in couples therapy, to promote healthy relationship functioning and mental health.