Why Relationships Matter

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In long-term relationships, couples have the opportunity to shape each other’s development.

A new study connects the risk for depression to feelings of distress in long-term relationships.

By supporting each other, you and your partner can minimize discord and maximize each other’s fulfillment.

People often think about ways to make themselves better. Whether it’s more adaptable, kinder, or more self-confident, we turn to a variety of sources from websites that offer checklists to popular books that seem to offer magic success formulas.

But what if the answer was far more simple and straightforward? If you’re in a long-term relationship, just look to your romantic partner. If the relationship is a healthy one, chances are it’s the person who knows you the best who could be your most reliable and knowledgeable fountain of wisdom.

Long-term Relationship Effects on Depression

Looking at the situation from the opposite perspective, the latest study by University of Colorado’s Mark Whisman and colleagues (2026) builds on the vast literature suggesting that couples who don’t get along well develop symptoms of depression as the years go by. These studies became the basis for their own analysis which took a different approach to the available data.

Their first twist on the evidence was to examine not just symptoms but actual incidence of what’s called a Major Depressive Episode (MDE), or two-week period in which individuals experience diagnosable depressive symptoms. Their second twist was........

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