The relationship between major depression and marital disruption is bidirectional.
BACKGROUND
Marital status is important to the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders. In particular, the high prevalence of major depression in individuals with separated, divorced, or widowed status has been well documented. However, the literature is divided as to whether marital disruption results in major depression and/or vise versa. We examined whether major depression influences changes of marital status, and, conversely, whether marital status influences the incidence of this disorder.


METHODS
We employed data from the longitudinal Canadian National Population Health Survey (1994-2004), and proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates.


RESULTS
Major depression had no effect on the proportion of individuals who changed from single to common-law, single to married, or common-law to married status. In contrast, exposure to depression doubled the proportion of transitions from common-law or married to separated or divorced status (HR=2.0; 95% CI 1.4-2.9 P<0.001). Conversely an increased proportion of nondepressed individuals with separated or divorced status subsequently experienced major depression (hazard ratio, HR=1.3; 95% CI 1.0-1.5 P=0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of major depression in separated or divorced individuals is due to both an increased risk of marital disruption in those with major depression, and also to the higher risk of this disorder in those with divorced or separated marital status. Thus a clinically significant interplay exists between major depression and marital status. Clinicians should be aware of the deleterious impact of major depression on marital relationships. Proactive management of marital problems in clinical settings may help minimize the psycho-social "scar" that is sometimes associated with this disorder.
Department of Community Health Sciences and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1. bulloch@ucalgary.ca
Andrew G
AG
Bulloch
Jeanne V
JV
Williams
Dina H
DH
Lavorato
Scott B
SB
Patten
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D015984:Causality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult