The Presence of Playfulness in the Context of Couple Relationship, Relationship Satisfaction and its Associations With Symptoms of Depression

Abstract

The present study investigated the associations between playfulness in the context of couple relationship, relationship satisfaction, and symptoms of depression. Research suggests the potential for play to help improve relationship quality and decrease the symptoms of depression. However, the empirical evidence is limited in the literature. This study was a secondary analysis of data from 294 individuals seeking couple therapy at a university based family clinic. Two significant main effects were found in this study. Both the increase in relationship satisfaction is associated with decreased depressive symptoms and the increase of play, above and beyond relationship satisfaction, is associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Gender as a moderator was not established between playfulness and depression. Implications of these findings are discussed.