Alcohol use, alcohol problems, and depressive symptomatology among newly married couples

Background: Individuals married to heavy drinking spouses often have poorer health compared to those whose spouses are not heavy drinkers. This work examined how one spouse's alcohol involvement and alcohol-related problems affect his/her spouse's depressive symptomatology over time. Methods: Couples (N = 634) were assessed for past year alcohol involvement and alcohol-related problems (marital and non-marital) and depressive symptomatology when they applied for a marriage license. They were reassessed at their first and second anniversaries. Multilevel models were used to analyze the association between one spouse's alcohol involvement and alcohol problems and his/her partner's depressive symptomatology over time. Results: Both husbands' and wives' marital alcohol problems were associated with wives' depressive symptoms. Neither spouses' alcohol consumption was associated with wives' depressive symptoms. Husbands' marriage-related alcohol problems and frequency of heavy drinking were related to husbands' depressive symptoms; however, wives' alcohol problems and alcohol use were unrelated to husbands' depression. Conclusions: In a community sample of married couples, we found that husbands' and wives' marital alcohol problems affect wives' depressive symptoms, but only husbands' marital alcohol problems affect husbands' depressive symptoms. Future work should consider other subgroups of alcohol-related problems in one spouse and their relation to depression in his/her partner.