Introduction: Depression is one of the major issues that affects all aspects of individual life such as marital life. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between depression and marital satisfaction.

Methods: This study was correlational. Ninety four couples who referred to the Counseling Center of Islamic Azad University of Karaj were selected through convenience sampling and responded to the two self-report questionnaires of Enrich Marital Satisfaction and Beck Depressive Inventory. Correlation Coefficient and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: The results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and depression in couples (P < 0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between wife’s depression and husband’s marital satisfaction (P < 0.01), as well as between husband’s depression and wife’s marital satisfaction (P < 0.01). Wife’s marital satisfaction and depression were able to predict husband’s marital satisfaction. Likewise, husband’s marital satisfaction and depression were able to predict wife’s marital satisfaction (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: The results of this study showed that there was a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and depression in couples. This means that an increase in one spouse's depression level leads to decrease in marital satisfaction of the other.