Sex Differences in Communicative Attempts to Curtail Depression: An Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Perspective

This study applies Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory (Le Poire, 1994) to romantic relationship with depressed individuals and examines sex differences in strategies non-depressed partners use as attempts to curtail depressive behavior. Couples (N = 68 dyads) including one depressed individual participated in semistructured interviews about labeling depression problematic and about the strategies used to curtail depression. Consistent with predictions, both types and patterns of attempts to curtail partners' depression illustrate sex differences. Results suggest female partners of depressed individuals change their strategy use over time such that they actively help their partners get well most before labeling the behavior problematic and revert to mixture of reinforcing depression and helping partners get well once they label depressive behavior problematic. On the contrary, male partners of depressed individuals actively help partners get well after labeling the depressive behavior problematic but eventually decrease their attempts at helping and instead contribute to depressive behaviors. The role of consistency in control attempts is considered, and implications for interpersonal communication within depressed relationships are discussed.