Disillusionment Predicts Depression

The present study examines whether marital disillusionment prospectively predicts individuals’ depressive symptoms or whether the reverse is true, in a regional U.S. newlywed sample surveyed twice roughly 2.5 years apart. Even using extensive control variables, wives’ Phase-1 disillusionment predicted their own Phase-2 depressive symptoms (an actor effect); an analogous pathway did not occur in husbands. No findings in the reverse direction emerged. Further three longitudinal partner-effects in the expected direction emerged, as wives’ P1 disillusionment predicted husbands’ P2 depression and P2 disillusionment, and husbands’ P1 disillusionment predicted wives’ P2 depression. Further, modest support was found for spouses’ interpersonal dynamics (specifically, wives’ satisfaction with time spent together with their husband) accounting for some of the association between wives’ disillusionment and depressive symptoms. The findings extend existing literature by showing that both actor- and partner-effects of disillusionment temporally precede individuals’ depressive symptoms. The discussion examines theoretical and practical implications for disillusionment research.