Does marital forgiveness predict later psychological well-being? A ten-year follow-up study

The positive association between interpersonal forgiveness and psychological well-being has been widely documented; forgiving is related to fewer depressive symptoms, less distress, lower anxiety, and enhanced life satisfaction and self-esteem. The few longitudinal studies on forgiveness in marriage have however yielded a different picture. For example, newlywed spouses who forgive a partner that does not apologize or make up for the offence experience detrimental consequences in the short to medium term. Even more understudied is the impact of forgiveness on the transgressor’s well-being. One of the very few studies on this topic found that, especially if not requested, interpersonal forgiveness may increase rather than mitigate the offender’s stress, exacerbating guilt and indebtedness towards the victim. What long term outcomes does marital forgiveness have for partners’ psychological well-being when granted and received within well-established couples? The present research attempted to answer this question by examining whether, and in which direction, marital forgivingness predicts psychological well-being both within and across partners. Sixty-one middle-aged married couples provided data on forgiveness, depression, self-esteem and subjective well-being at two points separated by a ten year interval. Two-wave cross-lagged latent change score modeling was used to examine effects over time. Both husbands’ and wives’ greater level of forgiveness at baseline were uniquely predictive of less pronounced declines in personal well-being for wives but not for husbands.