Couple discord and depression in couples during couple therapy and in depressed individuals during depression treatment.

The association between depression and relationship distress as well as the impact of treatment for the one on the other was examined across 2 treatment-seeking samples: individuals seeking treatment for depression (N = 120) and couples seeking marital therapy (N = 134 couples). Although there was a baseline association between depression and distress across the 2 samples, relationship distress was far more prevalent among those being treated for depression than was depression for those seeking marital therapy. There was a reliable association between changes in the primary problem (e.g., relationship distress in the couple therapy study) and changes in the secondary problem (e.g., depression in the couple therapy study). However, overall effects on secondary problems were quite small. Neuroticism played a complex, moderating role across the 2 samples, strengthening and weakening the association between depression and relationship distress depending on the sample and gender, replicating previous findings.