Romantic involvement and depressive symptoms in early and late adolescence: The role of a preoccupied relational style

Two studies examined the association between depressive symptoms and romantic involvement in adolescence and tested the hypothesis that romantic involvement is associated more strongly with symptoms among adolescents who have a more preoccupied style of relating, compared to adolescents who have a less preoccupied style of relating. Study 1 (N1⁄4 96 early adolescent females) examined concurrent associations and Study 2 (N1⁄4 80 late adolescent males and females) examined longitudinal associations. In both age groups, romantic involvement was associated with greater depressive symptoms and this was most true among adolescents with a preoccupied style of relating. Implications for models of depression and adolescent romantic functioning are discussed. The association between depressive symptoms and interpersonal, especially romantic, functioning has been well documented among adults. For example, there is a robust bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and marital distress (e.g., Davila, Karney, Hall, & Bradbury, 2003; see Whisman, 2001). Evidence for an association in adolescence is now beginning to emerge, suggesting that depressive symptoms in adolescence are associated with involvement in and quality of romantic relationships, particularly for girls (e.g., Gotlib, Lewihsohn, & Seeley, 1998; Grello, Welsh, Dickson, & Harper, 2002; Joyner & Udry, 2000; see Welsh, Grello, & Harper, 2003). This is, perhaps, not surprising as depressive symptoms are prevalent in adolescence, especially among girls, and are related to interpersonal impairment in various types of relationships (family, peer; e.g., Garber, Kriss, Koch, & Lindholm, 1988; Puig-Antich et al., 1985, 1993; Rudolph, Hammen, & Burge, 1994; see Davila, 2001). Romantic experiences are an important part of the adolescent self-concept and they are associated with much emotional intensity and variability (e.g., Connolly & Konarski, 1994; Larson, Clore, & Wood, 1999). What happens in young people’s romantic worlds may therefore have an effect on their experience of depressive symptoms. In a similar vein, the experience of dysphoria in adolescence may negatively affect romantic competence. A number of studies have begun to document the association between depressive symptoms in adolescence and involvement in romantic relationships. One particularly This research was supported in part by a grant from the Templeton Foundation and by National Science Foundation Minority Research Planning Grant #9805225. The authors thank the staff of the UB Study of Teen and Adult Relationships, the staff of the UCLA Young Adult Relationships Project, and all of the families and students who generously gave their time to participate in these projects. Correspondence should be addressed to Joanne Davila, SUNY Stony Brook, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-2500; e-mail: [email protected]. Personal Relationships, 11 (2004), 161–178. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright # 2004 IARR. 1350-4126/02