A Study on the Relationship Between Marital Socioeconomic Status, Marital Satisfaction, and Depression: Analysis Based on Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM)

Preceding research investigations on the correlation amidst the socioeconomic status quo (SES) of family, marital satisfaction, and depression have only focused on the influence on an individual family member. A few researchers consider husband and wife as a community and assess the complex relationship between SES and marital satisfaction on depression. This study explored the interdependent relations among SES, marital satisfaction, and marital depression in Chinese married couples from the perspectives of both sides. The study was conducted on adult married couples in China using the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data in 2014. This study used the Actor-Partner-Interdependence-Model (APIM) to evaluate the impacts of SES and marital gratification on depression and the target effect on a spouse by considering husband and wife as a single unit rather than separate individuals. APIM allows the use of paired data and overcomes the limitations of traditional methods. Gender differences were noted in SES, marital satisfaction, and marital depression among married couples. The social and economic status of the couple showed a negative relationship with the degree of depression. The SES of the husband had a significant negative impact on the depression degree of his wife. Similarly, the SES of the wife had a significant negative influence on the depression degree of her husband. The husband's marital gratification was undesirably correlated with his depression and manifested an identical relation from the wife's perspective. Husband's marital gratification or fulfillment had a substantial inhibitory impact on his wife's depression and vice versa.