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Does Relationship Conflict Predicts Psychological Distress or Vice Versa? A Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2021

Yalçın Özdemir Open the ORCID record for Yalçın Özdemir [Opens in a new window]  and
Ali Serdar Sağkal Open the ORCID record for Ali Serdar Sağkal [Opens in a new window]
Yalçın Özdemir*
Affiliation:
Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi (Turkey)
Ali Serdar Sağkal
Affiliation:
Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi (Turkey)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Yalçın Özdemir. Aydın Adnan Menderes University. Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling. Faculty of Education. Central Campus. 09100Aydın (Turkey). E-mail:[email protected] Phone: +90–2562142023
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Abstract

The present study examines the directionality of links between romantic relationship conflict and psychological distress in premarital relationships of emerging adults. A total of 182 participants (Mage = 21.23; SDage = 1.62; 85.16% female) provided data at both Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2). Participants responded to a battery of questions related to romantic relationship conflict and psychological distress. The data for the present study were collected at two time points during spring semester of 2018: First week (Time 1) and the last week of the semester, Week 14 (Time 2). A two-wave two variable cross-lagged autoregressive panel model was conducted to examine the links between relationship conflict and psychological distress over time in emerging adults. Using a latent cross-lagged panel model, we found that romantic relationship conflict at T1 significantly predicted psychological distress at T2, but psychological distress at T1 was not associated with subsequent romantic relationship conflict at T2, after controlling for autoregressive effects. The results highlighted the key role of romantic relationship conflict in predicting later psychological distress. Limitations and implications are discussed and future directions are suggested.

Keywords

Cross-lagged panel modelemerging adultspremarital romantic relationshipspsychological distressromantic relationship conflict
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 24 , 2021 , e6
Copyright
© Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2021

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Footnotes

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Funding Statement: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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