A Study Of Depression And Relationships Essay, Research Paper

A Study of Depression and Relationships

A primary concern for Psychology research is depression. Depression

affects a great deal of our population and many aspects of an individual’s

mental health and well-being. In my research of books, articles, and Internet

pages on depression, I chose to base my paper mainly on a 1994 article of a

study of depression, entitled Depression, Working Models of Others, and

Relationship Functioning, by Katherine B. Carnelley, Paula R. Pietromonaco, and

Kenneth Jaffe.

This study focuses on the idea that the type of care received in

childhood, positive or negative, has a great effect on relationship functioning

later in adulthood. But there are two links between child-rearing and

relationship functioning: attachment style and depression. Both derive from

the type of care received in childhood and affect relationship functioning, and

both exert a reciprocal influence on each other in adulthood. The researchers

of this study wanted to examine all the correlation’s between type of care,

attachment style, depression, and relationship functioning. They proposed a

three part hypothesis: 1. A less positive childhood would result in an insecure

attachment style and depression, 2. Depressives would exhibit a preoccupied or

fearful style of attachment, and 3. attachment style would affect relationship

functioning more than depression.

The research was conducted in two independent studies. The first study

sampled 204 college women. Women were studied based on the very plausible

assumptions that women are more susceptible to depression than men and

relationships carry more significance with women than men. The women were

screened using the Beck Depression Inventory, a popular method of testing

consisting of 21 multiple choice questions to be administered by a clinician.

The questions range in scope from feelings of sadness to loss of libido. From

these results, a sample of 163 was taken: 73 whose scores indicated mild

depression. From this point the researchers administered various inventories to

assess the type of childhood care given, romantic attachment styles, and

relationship functioning.

Depression appears to be the independent variable, because the sample

was selected based on desired levels of depression. Once the distinction in

levels of depression had been made, childhood care, attachment style, and

relationship functioning were assessed in relation to depression.

The actual distinction between independent and dependent variables is

confusing. There are almost ten variables in this experiment: mild depression,

no depression, dating or not dating (101 out of 163 were involved in stable

dating relationships that averaged 19.99 months), positive or negative child-

rearing, attachment style (fearful, preoccupied, or secure), and relationship

functioning (overall satisfaction, quality of interactions with partner, and

conflict resolution style). The confusion arises in that the study is assessing

the relationships of so many variables.

The second study repeated the first except the sample consisted of

recovering clinically depressed married women and non depressed married women.

The first hypothesis 1a was confirmed as having a strong correlation

between women with negative childhood experiences with their mother and a

preoccupied and avoidant attachment style. Hypothesis 1b was confirmed by a

strong correlation between childhood experiences and depression.

A very strong correlation existed between depression and fearful and

preoccupied attachment styles, consistent with the second hypothesis.

The researchers found that attachment style had more of an impact than

depression, “attachment style was the most consistent predictor of relationship

functioning and generally predicted functioning better than depression,”

consistent with the third hypothesis.

The second study consisting of clinically depressed married women, and

non depressed women found a correlation between greater fearful avoidance and

preoccupation in recovering clinically depressed married women.

This study raised several interesting questions: To what can the

various types of relationship functioning and the multifarious correlation’s

between the variables involved be ascribed? Are the factors controlling

depression external or internal? How do people develop their “working models”

of relationships? Do these models derive from childhood, or are they slowly

assimilated over the course of one’s life?

I would now like to go on to the treatment and results of depression and

the affects on the ones they love. When one is depressive, some studies show

that one may become more productive at work, they need less, sleep, and also

concentrate harder on their work according to Syndrome of The Elite: Bipolar

Disorder II, by Carl Sherman. People affected sometimes can have quick,

innovative intelligence. They can be charismatic, have more energy, but they

can also have extreme mood swings to upset a relationship. When one is treated

with a medication such as lithium to stabilize their moods, one may actually

benefit from having such a disease. These people will be hard working, need

less sleep, and can get ahead in their jobs. Some of the top executives,

creative people, and entrepreneurs benefit from these conditions. However, in

the home these mood swings may lead to unresolved fights, and anger within one’s

family. Depression can lead to excessive behavior, such as gambling, and

exorbitant lifestyles. This is compounded by the problem that one suffering

also likes to be isolated, and prefers not to talk about compounding problems

they may be facing. This can build up a fire inside one’s self. We can only

say for sure that with the bi-polar stages of manic depression, that many

relationships can only follow the highs and lows of the depressive’s states.

To fight this disease, many people turn to the many available anti-

depressant drugs on the market now. These drugs alter the bio-chemicals in the

brain itself. It works wonders for most people. In fact, 85% of all manic

depressives have great results right away when treated according to an the

article entitled, 1 in 5 adults suffer mental illness Experts say great strides

made in treating Depression, by Natalie Neiman. Also according to this study,

almost 15 to 20 percent of manic depressives commit suicide, which makes

treating this disease a must. One way of tracing this is through hereditary.

Almost 40-50 percent of the siblings of manic depressive’s children also have a

depression disorder. It is sometimes however hard to decipher between a normal

teenager’s mood swings, or a depression. People need to realize not to

discriminate, and know that it is a treatable chemistry imbalance. If one’s

teenager is acting in a depressive state have them talk to a psychologist, and

assure them nothing is wrong with them, and that it can only help.

I chose to do my research on this given that I am manic depressive. I

had recently broken up in a relationship, and this research helped to satisfy

some curiosities. With this research I realize how much I have been helped, and

it helped to explain some of my personality traits. Someone who has manic

depression should definitely go in for help, and should realize the risk of not.

The research shows that the interaction between relationship functioning,

depression, and attachment style are attributable to early childhood. In other

words, an individual’s experiences in his or her formative years can have

lasting psychological effects, up to the most basic social functions in

adulthood.