The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of conflict resolution styles in the relationship between sex and depression, anxiety, and hopelessness symptom levels for individuals in romantic relationships. The sample of the study consists of 634 (345 women and 289 men) volunteers who are in romantic relationships and aged between 18 and 53. Conflict Resolution Styles Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Inventory were used to collect data. The relationships among variables were examined via Pearson Correlation Analyses. Parallel Mediation Models were conducted to test the mediating role of four different conflict resolution styles in the relationship between gender and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Moreover, to control it’s effect on the outcome variables, the conflict frequency variable was added to each model as a covariate. Current study findings showed that the higher use of the negative conflict resolution style in women and the submissive conflict resolution style in men is associated with an increased level of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness symptoms. On the other hand, it was shown that the symptoms of hopelessness decrease in women through the use of positive conflict resolution. Therefore, interventions for individuals who experience conflicts in their romantic relationships are suggested to cover building skills such as healthy conflict resolution styles which can be effective in reducing psychological symptoms.
Keywords: Conflict resolution styles, sex differences, depression, anxiety, hopelessness