Self-Esteem Discrepancies and Depression

This study examines the relationship between self-esteem discrepancies and depression in a long-term intimate relationship. It was hypothesized that depression is associated with discrepancies between married partner's self-appraisals, their perceptions of their spouses' appraisal of them, and their spouses' actual appraisal of them. Questions administered to 333 married couples (666 subjects) measured the three components of the self and depression. Absolute discrepancies were then correlated with depression. The findings provided support for the hypothesis.