Genetic and subjective sensitivity, relationship dynamics, and psychological distress in couples
- PMID: 38647465
- PMCID: PMC11913186
- DOI: 10.1037/fam0001229
Genetic and subjective sensitivity, relationship dynamics, and psychological distress in couples
Abstract
Positive and negative aspects of intimate relationships influence mental health and well-being in couples. According to the environmental sensitivity framework, individuals differ in how strongly they are affected by their environment, with some individuals being more or less sensitive to both negative and positive experiences. The present study examined the longitudinal associations between positive and negative relationship dynamics, including marital satisfaction, positive bonding, and negative communication, and psychological distress as well as the extent to which individual differences in genetic and subjective measures of environmental sensitivity moderated the association between relationship dynamics and psychological distress in a sample of couples in the U.S. Army (n = 238 individuals representing 152 unique couples). Sensitivity was measured by self-report and a polygenic score derived from previous genome-wide association study results. Separate three-level multilevel models were conducted for each relationship dynamic and sensitivity variable. Only for subjective (i.e., self-reported) sensitivity did significant cross-level interactions emerge in predicting psychological distress, whereas no such interactions were found for genetic (i.e., polygenic score) sensitivity. Specifically, lower marital satisfaction and positive bonding were associated with higher psychological distress among subjectively highly sensitive individuals, and higher negative communication was associated with higher psychological distress among subjectively highly sensitive individuals. Findings suggest that both low positive and high negative relationship dynamics may have a greater effect on psychological distress among highly sensitive individuals, which may help to inform tailored intervention to meet the unique needs of couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Conflict of interest statement
The authors do not have conflicts of interest to declare.
Similar articles
-
Dyadic coping and relationship functioning in couples coping with cancer: a systematic review.Br J Health Psychol. 2015 Feb;20(1):85-114. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12094. Epub 2014 Mar 15. Br J Health Psychol. 2015. PMID: 24628822
-
A New Measure of Quantified Social Health Is Associated With Levels of Discomfort, Capability, and Mental and General Health Among Patients Seeking Musculoskeletal Specialty Care.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2025 Apr 1;483(4):647-663. doi: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000003394. Epub 2025 Feb 5. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2025. PMID: 39915110
-
Sexual Harassment and Prevention Training.2024 Mar 29. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. 2024 Mar 29. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 36508513 Free Books & Documents.
-
Investigation and analysis of mental health status of the older adult in western rural areas.Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 16;13:1612600. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1612600. eCollection 2025. Front Public Health. 2025. PMID: 40740371 Free PMC article.
-
Peer support interventions for parents and carers of children with complex needs.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Dec 20;12(12):CD010618. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010618.pub2. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021. PMID: 34923624 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Beach SRH, Sandeen EE, & O’Leary KD (1990). Depression in marriage: A model for etiology and treatment. New York: Guildford Press.
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical