Korean J Health Promot.  2016 Mar;16(1):11-19. 10.15384/kjhp.2016.16.1.11.

The Impact of a Spouse's Depression on Family Functioning and Communication

• Yoo SH
• Kwon HJ
• Kim SH
• Lee JA
• Sunwoo S
• Kim YS
• Kim BS
• Oh HJ
• Kim CM
• Choi HJ
• Hwang HJ
• Ok SW

• KMID: 2247034
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2016.16.1.11

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Depression is known to affect family function and communication. However, the distress experienced by those who have spouse with depression has not been properly assessed to date. This study attempted to examine the effect of depression on family function and communication as reported by the spouses of the depressed patients.
METHODS
The participants of this study were 445 couples who visited 28 family doctors from April 2009 to June 2011. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES-III) was used to evaluate the family function, and the family communication scale in FACES-IV was used to evaluate communication among family members. A score of more than 21 points on the CES-D scale was used to indicate depression. The relationships between family type, family communication, and the depression of one's spouse were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression.
RESULTS
The odds ratios, indicating how the family is heading towards an extreme level, were statistically significant in all male and female respondents (male: odds ratio [OR] 3.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-5.48; female: OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.02-4.27). On the other hand, only female respondents with depressed spouses reported their family communication not to be good (male: OR 1.65, 95% CI 0.88-3.07; female: OR 2.48, 95% CI, 1.25-4.93).
CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed people perceive their family function and communication not good when they have spouses with depression. There was no gender difference in the evaluation of their family function, but the perception on their family communication were different by gender.

Keyword

Depression; Spouses; Family functioning; Commuincation

MeSH Terms

Surveys and Questionnaires
Depression*
Family Characteristics
Female
Hand
Head
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Odds Ratio
Spouses

Reference

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