WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Research into marital happiness has determined each spouse's level of anxiety and depression predicted marital satisfaction for both partners.

In a sample of 774 married couples from seven U.S. states, researchers Mark Whisman and Lauren Weinstock of the University of Colorado in Boulder and Lisa Uebelacker of Brown University Medical School found the more anxious and/or depressed either spouse was, the more dissatisfied he or she was with the marriage.

The study found no gender differences in the levels of marital satisfaction by either husbands or wives who had similar anxiety and depression symptoms.

Depression was found to influence both husbands and wives more than anxiety in how satisfied they felt about the marriage. But only a spouse's depression level affected the other spouse's marital satisfaction. When a spouse suffers from anxiety, but not depression, the affect on the marital partner was less.

The findings are reported on in the October issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology published by the American Psychological Association.

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