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Perceived Romantic Relationship Quality: Associations With Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior
Author(s) -
Beckmeyer Jonathon J.,
Coleman Marilyn,
Proulx Christine M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12341
Subject(s) - psychology , depressive symptoms , romance , developmental psychology , association (psychology) , clinical psychology , anxiety , psychiatry , psychotherapist , psychoanalysis
Objective To understand whether 15‐year‐old adolescents' reports of positive and negative interactions in their romantic relationships are associated with their depressive symptoms and externalizing behavior. Background To ensure that relationship education programs comprehensively address adolescent romantic development, there is a need for research focused on relationship dynamics during adolescence. In particular, there is a paucity of research on the associations between romantic relationship quality and adolescent adjustment. Method Data were from adolescents in romantic relationships during the fourth wave of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 205). Adolescents reported the positive and negative interactions in their romantic relationships, depressive symptoms, and externalizing behavior. Results Negative interactions were positively associated with depressive symptoms and externalizing behavior. Positive interactions were not associated with adolescent adjustment but did moderate the associations between negative interactions and depressive symptoms. Specifically, and unexpectedly, positive interactions exacerbated the association between high (+1 SD ) negative interactions and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Adolescents in romantic relationships may be at risk for depressive symptoms and externalizing behavior when they experience negative interactions with romantic partners. They do not, however, appear to benefit from positive interactions. Implications A primary goal of adolescent‐specific relationship education should be to minimize negative interactions between romantic partners.