Perceived Romantic Relationship Quality: Associations With Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior

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 adol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Family relations 2018-10, Vol.67 (4), p.539-551
Main Authors:	Beckmeyer, Jonathon J., Coleman, Marilyn, Proulx, Christine M.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adjustment Adolescence Adolescent development Adolescents Behavior Child care Child development Children Children & youth Childrens health Couples depressive symptoms Education Educational programs externalizing behavior Externalizing behaviour Interpersonal relations Mental depression Negative interactions Perceptions Personal relationships Psychology Quality Quality of care Researchers romantic relationship quality Romantic relationships Sexual behavior Social development Symptoms Teenagers Youth
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Summary:	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.
ISSN:	0197-6664 1741-3729