This study investigated marital dissatisfaction and perceived social support as predictors of depression among married individuals. The participants for this study comprised of 276 members of Catholic Men Organization (CMO) and Catholic Women Organization (CWO) of Awka Diocese, selected through the use of simple random sampling technique. Their age ranged from 24 to 55 years, with a mean of age of 46.12 and a standard deviation of 18.34. Instruments administered on them included Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), Depression subscale (Scale D) of Symptom Distress Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Multiple Linear Regression Statistic was used to analyze the data collected. Result showed that the first hypothesis was not confirmed, and that the last three hypotheses were confirmed. Based on these findings, it revealed that while marital dissatisfaction was found not to be a factor positively predicting depression among married individuals in Awka Diocese, social support domains (e.g. family, friends, and significant others) were found to negatively predict depression among married individuals. Therefore, based on these results, it was recommended that married individuals should not only ensure that they seek for ways of making their marital experiences more positive in other to checkmate marital dissatisfaction, they should also endeavour to see that the three domains of social support present in their lives are positive as well. This should be so, for such positive nature of these variables will go a long way in preventing them from presenting with depression.

Keywords: Marital dissatisfaction, perceived social support, depression, married individuals.

1. Akanbi, S. (2002). An investigation of the factors determining marital satisfaction among elites in Ogbomoso land. Unpublished Master’s Thesis Department of Guidance and Counselling. University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
2. Amato, P., & Previt, D. (2003). Peoples reasons for divorcing: Gender, Social Class, the life course and Adjustment, the Pennsylvania State University, Journal of family issues, Sage Publications 24 (5) 602-626.
3. Anene (1994) in Omoluabi, F (1994) SCL-90 Manual Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology University of Lagos.
4. Aneshesel, C., & Stone, J., (1982). Press and depression: A test of the buffering model of social support. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 1392-1396.
5. Beach, S, Fincham, F and Katz (1998) Marital therapy in the treatment f depression: toward a third generation. Clinical Psychology Review, 18 (6): 636-61
6. Beach, S., Katz, J., Kim, S., & Brody, G. (2003). Prospective effects of marital satisfaction on depressive symptoms in established marriages: A dyadic model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20, 355–371.
7. Beardlee, W., Bemporad, J., Keller, M., & Kilerman, G. (1983) Children of parents with major affective disorder: a review. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 140 (7), 825-832.
8. Brown, G., & Harris, T., (1978). Social origins depression: A study of psychiatric disorder in women. London:  
9. Bruce, M. (1998). Divorce and psychopathology. In B. P. Dohrenwend (Ed.), Adversity, stress, and psychopathology (pp. 219-234). New York: Oxford Press.
10. Cano, A., and O’Learvy, K. (2000). Infidelity and separations precipitate major depressive episodes and symptoms of nonspecific depression and anxiety. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 65,5, 774-781.
11. Carels, R., & Baucom, D., (1999). Support in marriage: Factors associated with on-line perceptions of support helpfulness.  Journal of family psychology, 13, 131-144
12. Chou, K., & Chi, I., (2001). Stressful life events and depressive symptoms: Social support and sense of control as mediators or mediators? International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 52, 155-171.
13. Cotton, S., (1999) Marital status and mental health revisited; Examining them importance of risk factors and resources. Family Relations, 48(3), 225-234
14. Coyne, J., & Benazon, N (2001). Not Agent Blue: Effects of marital functioning on depression and implications for treatment. In S. R. H. Beach (Ed.), Marital and family processes in depression: A scientific foundation for clinical practice, 25-44. Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.
15. Cuijpers, P., van Straten, A., van Schaik, A., et al (2009), Psychological treatment of depression in primary care: a meta-analysis. Br J Gen Pract. 59 (559): e51-60
16. Dehle, C., & Weiss, R. (2002). Associations between anxiety and marital adjustment. Journal of Psychology, 136, 328–338.
17. Derogatis, L, Lipman, R and Cori, L (1977) SCL-90R: administration, scoring and procedures manual. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Schol of Medicine, Clinical Psychometric Research Unit.
18. Dokpesi, A. (2013). The Challenges and Coping Strategies of Women of Emigrant Spouses. In Benin-City of Nigeria. African Journal of Social Sciences. 3, 172-185
19. Erinoso, O (1996) The sources of Stress among Nigeria retirees. Unpublished B. Sc Thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Lagos.
20. Fincham, F and Beach, S (1999) Conflict in marriage: Implications for working couples. Annual Reviews. Psychol. 50: 47-77.
21. Fincham, F., Beach, S., Harold, G., & Osborne, L., (1997). Marital satisfaction and depression: Different casual relationships for men and women? Psychological Science, 8, 351-357.
22. Gottman, J. (1998). Psychology and the study of marital processes. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 169-187.
23. Hashmi, H., Khurshid, M., & Hassan, I. (2007) Marital Adjustment, Stress and Depression among Working and Non-Working Married Women. Internet Journal of Medical Update-EJOURNAL 2, 1 
24. Huntley, A, Araya, R & Salisbury, C. (2012) Group psychological therapies for depression in the community: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 84-90. Doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.092049.
25. Gabe, J., Bury, M., & Elston, M., (2004). Key Concepts in Medical Sociology. London: Sage Glassman, A., & Shapiro, P., (1998), Depression and the course of coronary artery disease.  American Journal of psychiatry, 155, 4-11.
26. Joiner, T. (2002). Depression in its interpersonal context. In I. Gotlib & C. Hammen (Eds), Handbook of depression (pp295-313). New York: Guildford press.
27. Khan, F., & Aftab, S., (2013). Marital Perceived Social Support as Vulnerability factors to depression. American International Jol Social Science.2, 5.
28. Kiecolt-Glaser, J., Malarkey, W., & Chee, M (1993). Negative behaviour during marital conflict is associated with immunological down-regulation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 33, 397-409.
29. Kiecolt-Glasser, J., & Newton, T., (2001). Marriage and Health: His and hers. Psychological Bulletin, 129 (4) 472-503.
30. Levenson, R., Carstensen, L., & Gottman, J. (1994). The influence of age and gender on affect, physiology, and their interrelations: A study of long term marriages. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 67, 56-68.
31. McGonagle, K, Schilling, E. The frequency and determinants in a community sample. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 1992; 9:507–524.
32. Nice (2013) Depression in children and young people. Evidence Update. Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2004). Abnormal Psychology (3^rd edition). McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, New York.
33. Omoluabi, F (1994) SCL-90 Manual Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology University of Lagos.
34. Omoluabi, F (1996) Development of retirement stress inventory (RSI) Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology University of Lagos.
35. Pasch, L.,Bradbury, T., & Davila, J., (1997). Gender, negative affectivity, and observed social support behaviours in marital interactions. Personal relationships, 4, 361-378.
36. Richard, P. (2004) Abnormal psychology; clinical perspective on psychological disorder. Mc Grow Hill press.
37. Schafer, R., Wickrama, K., and Keith, P., (1998). Stress in marital interaction and change in depression: A longitudinal analysis of family issues, 19,178- 594.
38. Schuller, R., & Vidmar, N. (1992). Battered woman syndrome evidence in the courtroom. Law and Human Behaviour, 16, 273-291
39. Simonsick, E., Wallace, R., Blazer, D., & Berkmen, L., (1995). Depressive symptomatology and hypertension-associated morbidity and mortality in older adults. Psychosomatic Medicine, 57, 427-435.
40. Uher R, Payne JL, Pavlova B, et al; (2013) major depressive disorder in DSM-5: I1 mplications for clinical practice and research of changes from DSM-IV. Depress Anxiety. 22. doi: 10.1002/da.22217.
41. Weissman, M. (1987) Advances in psychiatric epidemiology: Rates and risks for major depression. J. Public Health. 77:445–451,
42. Whisman, M., (2001). The association between depression and marital dissatisfaction. In S.R.H. Beach (Ed.) Marital and family processes in depression: A   Scientific foundation for clinical practices (pp. 3-24) Washington. DC: America   Psychological  
43. World Health Organization (2001) The World Health Report 2001. Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope.
44. World Health Organization (2012) World suicide prevention day 2012. http://www. int/mediacentre/events/annual/woorld_suicide_prevention_day/en/  Accessed 16.6.2012
45. World Health Organization (2016) Investing in treatment for depression and anxiety leads to fourfold return. www.who.int/mediacentre/news/release/2016/depression
46. Weissman, M. (1987) Advances in psychiatric epidemiology: Rates and risks for major depression. J. Public Health. 77:445–451.
47. Xu,Y., & Burleson B., (2001). Effects of sex, culture, support on type on perceptions of spousal social support. An Assessment of the support gap-hypothesis in early marriages. Human communication research, 27 (4), 535-566.
48. Zare, A., Hajizade, M., & Ebrahimi, F., (2010). Influence of Social Support on Treatment of Type II Diabetes in Yazd. Journal of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, 18 (3):277-283.
49. Zimet, G., Dahlem, N., Zimet, S., & Farley, G (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30-41.

Okoli, Paul Chibuike, PhD.

Department of Internal Medicine ESUT College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu-Nigeria