Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference?
We investigate how preloss marital quality is associated with changes in psychological distress and physical health among older widow(er)s. Using prospective data with a 2-year follow-up from the Health and Retirement Study, we selected 546 respondents who transitioned into widowhood. Respondents we...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159914 |
| _version_ | 1811688292759896064 |
|---|---|
| author | Lee, Hyo Jung Han, Sae Hwang Boerner, Kathrin |
| author2 | School of Social Sciences |
| author_facet | School of Social Sciences Lee, Hyo Jung Han, Sae Hwang Boerner, Kathrin |
| author_sort | Lee, Hyo Jung |
| collection | NTU |
| description | We investigate how preloss marital quality is associated with changes in psychological distress and physical health among older widow(er)s. Using prospective data with a 2-year follow-up from the Health and Retirement Study, we selected 546 respondents who transitioned into widowhood. Respondents were classified as supportive, ambivalent, aversive, or neutral groups. The supportive and ambivalent group experienced greater increase in depressive symptoms compared to the aversive group, in widowhood. The aversive group showed greater increase in chronic conditions compared to the supportive group. Findings indicated that spousal loss may result in more psychological distress for those with supportive and ambivalent marital relationship. Yet, those with mostly negative accounts of their marriage may experience worsened physical health, albeit no increase in psychological distress. Understanding different benefits and challenges facing older individuals after a positive or negative marriage may help direct support and interventions efforts toward older couples during marriage and in widowhood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T05:29:54Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/159914 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T05:29:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1599142022-07-05T08:19:04Z Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? Lee, Hyo Jung Han, Sae Hwang Boerner, Kathrin School of Social Sciences Social sciences::Sociology Widowhood Marital Quality We investigate how preloss marital quality is associated with changes in psychological distress and physical health among older widow(er)s. Using prospective data with a 2-year follow-up from the Health and Retirement Study, we selected 546 respondents who transitioned into widowhood. Respondents were classified as supportive, ambivalent, aversive, or neutral groups. The supportive and ambivalent group experienced greater increase in depressive symptoms compared to the aversive group, in widowhood. The aversive group showed greater increase in chronic conditions compared to the supportive group. Findings indicated that spousal loss may result in more psychological distress for those with supportive and ambivalent marital relationship. Yet, those with mostly negative accounts of their marriage may experience worsened physical health, albeit no increase in psychological distress. Understanding different benefits and challenges facing older individuals after a positive or negative marriage may help direct support and interventions efforts toward older couples during marriage and in widowhood. This research was supported by grant, P30AG066614, awarded to the Center on Aging and Population Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin by the National Institute on Aging, and by grant, P2CHD042849, awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 2022-07-05T08:19:04Z 2022-07-05T08:19:04Z 2022 Journal Article Lee, H. J., Han, S. H. & Boerner, K. (2022). Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference?. Research On Aging, 44(1), 54-64. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0164027521989083 0164-0275 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159914 10.1177/0164027521989083 33511917 2-s2.0-85100351575 1 44 54 64 en Research on Aging © 2021 The Authors. All rights reserved. |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Sociology Widowhood Marital Quality Lee, Hyo Jung Han, Sae Hwang Boerner, Kathrin Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title | Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title_full | Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title_fullStr | Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title_short | Psychological and physical health in widowhood: does marital quality make a difference? |
| title_sort | psychological and physical health in widowhood does marital quality make a difference |
| topic | Social sciences::Sociology Widowhood Marital Quality |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159914 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT leehyojung psychologicalandphysicalhealthinwidowhooddoesmaritalqualitymakeadifference AT hansaehwang psychologicalandphysicalhealthinwidowhooddoesmaritalqualitymakeadifference AT boernerkathrin psychologicalandphysicalhealthinwidowhooddoesmaritalqualitymakeadifference |