Abstract
Depression is among the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders of adults in America, with an estimated 16.2 million diagnosed in 2016, approximately seven percent of the US adult population (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). Women are diagnosed two to three times more often than men (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019), yet there is no universal explanation for this gender gap. Many theories have been proposed to shed light on this disparity, including Dana Jack's (1991) Silencing the Self theory, which suggests women develop depression by way of losing their voice and ultimately their individual identity in the context of romantic relationships. Previous studies have shown a relationship between self-silencing and depression, yet few have examined potential moderating variables of this relationship. One potential moderating variable is anxious attachment which has been hypothesized to be related to self-silencing behaviors and depression (Jack, 1991). The cultural factors of individualism and collectivism were also examined as moderators. The results of the study found a significant relationship between self-silencing and anxious attachment style while no support was found for any moderating factors between self-silencing and depression. When in the model together, anxious attachment and self-silencing both were associated with depressive symptoms. Future directions, limitations, and clinical implications are discussed. The results of the study have clinical implications in the realm of conceptualization and treatment of women in heterosexual relationships.