Abstract

The present study focused on the interaction between women's depressive symptoms and the quality of their family relationship. 150 women between 20 and 60 of ages who live in the metropolitan Seoul area responded to the questionnaire consisting of Center for Epidemiological studies for Depression(CES-D), Parenting Stress Index, Parenting Sense of Competence, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The results showed that depressive symptoms significantly correlated with parenting stress(r= .40), parenting sense of anxiety(r= .41) and marital dissatisfaction(r= -.51). Also, parenting stress, parental sense of competence, and marital dissatisfaction accounted for 45.7% of the variance in concurrent depressive symptoms. Women who scored above 24 on CESD were divided into two subgroups; Clinical Depresion Group consisting of women who meet the DSM-IV criteria for major Depressive Disorder and Subclinical Depression Group consisting of women who do not. The Subclinical Depression Group did not differ significantly from the Clinical Depression Group on the levels of parenting stress, parental sense of competence, and marital dissatisfaction. No significant differences between the two subgroups suggested that intervention for subclinically depressed women is needed and the therapeutic approach based on the family for women's depression would be helpful.