Discovery of a Partner Affair and Major Depressive Episode in a Probability Sample of Married or Cohabiting Adults
Summary & key facts
This study looked at 227 married or cohabiting adults who had low marital satisfaction. It examined whether finding out a partner had an affair in the past year was linked with having a major depressive episode in the past year. The researchers found that women reported discovering a partner affair more often than men. People who discovered an affair were more likely to have had a past-year major depressive episode and had lower marital adjustment. The link between discovering an affair and depression stayed statistically significant after accounting for demographic factors and marital adjustment. The sample was chosen for low marital satisfaction, so the findings may not apply to all couple
- The study sample included 227 married or cohabiting adults who scored below the midpoint on a measure of marital satisfaction (N = 227).
- Women were more likely than men to report discovering their partner had an affair in the prior 12 months.
- Discovering a partner’s affair was associated with a higher prevalence of past-year major depressive episode (MDE).
- Discovering a partner’s affair was also associated with lower marital adjustment (poorer marital functioning).
- The association between discovering a partner affair and past-year MDE remained statistically significant after controlling for demographic variables and marital adjustment.
- Because the sample was selected for low marital satisfaction, the results may not generalize to all married or cohabiting people.
Abstract
Prior research has found that humiliating marital events are associated with depression. Building on this research, the current study investigated the association between one specific humiliating marital event-discovering that one's partner had an affair-and past-year major depressive episode (MDE) in a probability sample of married or cohabiting men and women who were at high risk for depression based on the criterion that they scored below the midpoint on a measure of marital satisfaction (N = 227). Results indicate that (i) women were more likely than men to report discovering their partner had an affair in the prior 12 months; (ii) discovering a partner affair was associated with a higher prevalence of past-year MDE and a lower level of marital adjustment; and (iii) the association between discovering a partner affair and MDE remained statistically significant when holding constant demographic variables and marital adjustment. These results support continued investigation into the impact that finding out about an affair has on the mental health of the person discovering a partner affair.
