Washington, Feb 23 (IANS) Husbands’ hostile and anti-social behaviour exacerbates symptoms of depression among their wives, says new research.
Nearly 10 percent of the US population suffers from a depressive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Christine Proulx, professor at Michigan University (MU), who led the study, attributes some of it to marital hostility.

“In the study, husbands’ marital hostility was significantly related to increases in wives’ symptoms of depression,” said Proulx.

“The more hostile and anti-social behaviour exhibited by husbands, the more depressed their wives were after three years,” added Proulx.

These findings suggest that husbands’ treatment of their wives significantly impacts their psychological well-being and that hostile behaviour has a lasting effect on couples that continues throughout their marriages.

In contrast, warm, positive behaviour from husbands lessened the negative impact of their hostile behaviour.

Anti-social behaviours are those that are self-centred, defiant or show a lack of constraint; hostile behaviours are those that are angry, critical or rejecting.

To measure hostile and anti-social behaviours, the researchers watched and coded twenty-minute videos of couples interacting in their homes. Symptoms of depression were self-reported by those in the study.

“It’s critical that professionals ask people experiencing depression about their close relationships and recognise that their spouse’s behaviour influences how they feel about life and themselves, especially among women,” Proulx said.

The researchers found no significant relationship between wives’ hostile behaviour and husbands’ depression, unless significant life events, such as a death in the family or a job loss, were present.

The study was published recently in the Journal of Family Psychology.