Perceived Interparental Conflict and Depressive Symptomatology in Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Aggressive Attitudes

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study tested the effects of perceived interparental conflict on emerging adults’ depressive symptomatology as mediated by aggressive attitudes. The sample included 520 college students (58.1% females) aged 18–22 years old. Total, direct and indirect effects were calculated through the estimation of an OLS regression-based mediation model, controlling for gender. The results suggest that perceptions of interparental conflict and appraisals of threat and self-blame positively predict depressive symptoms. Also, the results indicate that (1) verbal aggressive attitudes negatively mediate the relationship between interparental conflict properties and depressive symptoms; (2) hostile attitudes positively mediate the association between both threat and self-blame appraisals and depressive symptoms; and (3) anger positively mediates the relationship between both interparental conflict properties and threat appraisal and depressive symptoms. Results are discussed in the context of emerging adults’ mental adjustment and aggression expression when dealing with interparental conflict.

KEYWORDS:

• Perceived interparental conflict
• aggressive attitudes
• depressive symptoms
• emerging adults