Investigating the Relationship between Perceived Partner Responsiveness and the Degree of Depression Symptoms According to the Moderating Role of Fear of Compassion

This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between Perceived Partner Responsiveness and the level of Anaclitic and Introjective Depression symptoms according to the moderating role of Fear of Compassion. This research was a practical study and was following the adhered to the descriptive correlation model. The population of this research consisted of all married individuals in Iran during March and April 2022. The sample was randomly selected and consisted of 439 individuals, including 349 women and 90 males. The data for this study were gathered using the Reconstructed Depression Experience questionnaire (RecDEQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale (PPRS), and Fear of Compassion Scale (FCS). The SPSS-26 software was used to conduct correlation and regression analyses on all data that was collected online. According to the findings, there was an inverse and significant relationship between the level of anaclitic and introjective melancholy symptoms and the perceived responsiveness of one’s partner (P<0.001). Anaclitic and introjective depression symptoms were also directly and significantly correlated with fear of compassion from others, fear of self-compassion, and fear of compassion for others (P<0.001). Additionally, the relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and anaclitic depression was moderated by apprehension of compassion from others (P=0.01). The results of this study contributed to the development of Blat's theory in the field of inherent and supportive factors of anaclitic and introjective depression. Also, according to the findings, paying attention to the fear of compassion as a developmental construct is beneficial in theorizing, etiology and designing treatment to improve the symptoms of depression in married people.