Sintomas depressivos e relacionamentos conjugais: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

Abstract

Depression is one of the most prevailing mental disorders in the world. It is associated with suffering and damage in several areas of life. Social relationships and the ability to manage day-to-day tasks are affected as well as marital relationships. The association between depression and the decline in the marital relationship is well documented in the literature, but the nature of this association is not always clear. The aim of this study is to understand how depressive symptoms impact a couple's relationship. A systematic review of literature was conducted, with searches in the Web of Science, Pubmed/ Medline and PsycINFO databases. The search included articles published between 2015 and 2019, in Portuguese and English. Only empirical studies which addressed predominantly depressive symptoms and marital relationships were considered. The results were analyzed based on the cognitive-behavioral perspective, in order to understand the impact of the cognitive, behavioral and emotional manifestations of the depressed subject in the conjugal relationship. The findings revealed an important role of the styles of communication, negative cognitive processes, support of the non-depressed spouse, two-way associations between depressive symptoms and marital dissatisfaction, and severity of depressive symptoms (sic).