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

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12341
• Author: Christine M. Proulx,Marilyn Coleman,Jonathon J. Beckmeyer
• Published date: 01 October 2018
• Date: 01 October 2018

J J. B Indiana University

M C  C M. P University of Missouri

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 edu-

cation programs comprehensively address ado-

lescent 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 fromadolescents in roman-

tic 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 exter-

nalizing behavior. Positive interactions were

not associated with adolescent adjustment but

Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public

Health, Indiana University–Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th

Street, Suite 116, Bloomington, IN 47405 (E-mail:

jbeckmey@indiana.edu).

Key Words: Adolescence, depressive symptoms, externaliz-

ing behavior,romantic relationship quality.

did moderate the associations between neg-

ative interactions and depressive symptoms.

Specically, and unexpectedly, positive interac-

tions exacerbated the association between high

(+1SD) negative interactions and depressive

symptoms.

Conclusion: Adolescents in romantic relation-

ships may be at risk for depressive symptoms

and externalizing behavior when they experi-

ence negative interactions with romantic part-

ners. They do not, however, appear to benet

from positive interactions.

Implications: A primary goal of

adolescent-specic relationship education

should be to minimize negative interactions

between romantic partners.

Although romantic relationships can provide

adolescents with emotional intimacy, support,

and companionship (Connolly, Craig, Goldberg,

& Pepler, 2004), romantically involved adoles-

cents also report greater depressive symptoms

(Joyner & Udry, 2000; Starr et al., 2012), earlier

sexual activity (Davis & Windle, 2000; Furman,

Low, & Ho, 2009), and more substance use

(Davis & Windle, 2000; Furman et al., 2009)

than those with little or no romantic involve-

ment. Family educators can play an important

role in reducing these potential costs by pro-

viding youth with adolescent-specic romantic

relationship education (Halpern-Meekin, 2012;

Family Relations 67 (October 2018): 539–551 539

DOI:10.1111/fare.12341