Competency Lies in the Eye of the Beholder? Comparing the Interpersonal Skills of Currently, Formerly and Never Depressed Females Using Self and Partner Reports

Research examining the social skills of currently and remitted depressed individuals has yielded inconsistent results. The current study aimed to clarify some of this research by comparing the responses of 58 female partners (10 currently depressed, 23 formerly depressed, and 25 never depressed) to hypothetical marital conflict vignettes. Male partners were also asked to report on how their partners would respond in each of the conflict situations. As anticipated, results indicated that currently and formerly depressed females reported behaviors suggestive of lower competency than did never depressed females. The analysis controlled for female relationship quality. However, the reports of the male partner indicated that men’s relationship quality, rather than female depression status, affected men’s reports of their partner’s competency, such that men who were happier in their relationship reported higher levels of competent behavior in their partners. Our findings provide converging evidence for interpersonal models of depression using standardized measures of social competence and also highlight the importance of taking the quality of the interpersonal relationship into account when testing interpersonal models of depression.