THE RELATIONS AMONG DIFFERING FORMS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SYMPTOMS, COUPLE COMMUNICATION, AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

Abstract

This study investigated the degree to which forms of psychopathology symptoms -- psychotic, mood/anxiety-based and trauma-based -- are associated with relationship satisfaction, the degrees to which positive and negative communication are related to satisfaction, and whether communication mediates the relation between psychopathology and satisfaction. The sample was 83 couples who sought therapy at a university-based clinic. The findings indicated no relation between psychopathology symptoms and relationship satisfaction. There was an association between females' psychoticism symptoms and males' negative communication, as well as between females' psychoticism and mood/anxiety symptoms and males' positive communication. More positive communication was associated with greater relationship satisfaction for both partners, and males' negative communication was associated with lower satisfaction for female partners. Communication was not tested as a mediator between symptoms and satisfaction because no association between psychopathology symptoms and relationship satisfaction was found.