Parental rearing and intimate relations in women's depression.

Bowlby has suggested that attachment behavior is not restricted to early childhood but can remain valid through the life span. This study was designed to test whether recall of parental rearing (Parental Bonding Instrument) and perception of marital relationship (Dyadic Adjustment Scale) is significantly different between 2 groups of women: one with non-bipolar depressive disorder (DSM-III-R) compared with another (control) of healthy women from a primary practice setting. We also examined the hypothesis that exposure to dysfunctional parenting is associated with negative intimate relationships in adulthood. Our results partially support these hypotheses. We discuss the significance of these findings in the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders.