Linking partner emotional support, partner negative interaction, and trauma with psychological distress: Direct and moderating effects

While research evidence has consistently demonstrated the link between social relationships and psychological distress, there is debate over the strength of perceived emotional support compared with perceived negative interaction on psychological distress and whether the relation between social relationships and psychological distress is direct or moderating. In this study, we examined the relation between partner emotional support, partner negative interaction, and trauma on psychological distress. Our sample of married or romantically partnered people was drawn from a nationally representative U.S. data set (N = 5,383). The direct effects of romantic partner emotional support and romantic partner negative interaction on psychological distress were evaluated and compared. Further, we evaluated the moderating effects of partner emotional support and partner negative interaction on the relation between trauma history and psychological distress. Hierarchical regression models revealed that (a) people expose...