Sleep and Loneliness as Mechanisms Through Which Marital Quality Predicts Depression Among Older Adults

Abstract Pathways through which spousal support and strain influence older adults’ well-being are poorly understood. We examined sleep quality and loneliness as mechanisms through which support and strain predict depressive symptoms across ten years utilizing National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project data. Our sample included partnered participants at waves 1 and 2 (N = 1,293; 39% female, M age = 66, SD = 6.93). Support (e.g., rely on spouse) and strain (e.g., spouse criticizes you) were measured at W1, loneliness (UCLA) and sleep quality (restless sleep) were measured at W2, and depression (CES-D) was measured at W3. We estimated latent-variable structural equation models, controlling for age, gender, and W1 depression. Indirect effects of support and strain on depressive symptoms through loneliness were significant. There was an additional trend-level indirect effect of spousal strain on depressive symptoms through restless sleep. Findings highlight multiple pathways through which marital quality predicts later-life well-being.

Download Full-text

Psychological Pathways Linking Parent-Child Relationships to Subjective and Objective Sleep Among Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1926 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 579-579

Author(s):

Haowei Wang ◽

Kyungmin Kim ◽

Jeffrey Burr ◽

Bei Wu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Social Life ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Subjective Sleep Quality ◽

Subjective Sleep ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

Abstract This study investigated whether older adults’ relationships with their children were associated with their self-reported subjective sleep quality and actigraphy-measured objective sleep characteristics, as well as whether depressive symptoms and loneliness mediated the association between these parent-child relationships and sleep. Data were taken from the second wave of the National Social life, Health, and Aging Project, in which 569 respondents (age 57-85) participated in the sleep module, along with the social network module that provided relationship information for participants and their children. Results from structural equation modeling showed that (1) parents’ closeness with children was associated with better objective sleep (i.e., fragmentation of sleep and percent sleep), (2) more frequent contact with children was related to better subjective sleep quality, (3) depressive symptoms and loneliness were associated with worse subjective sleep quality, and (4) less closeness with children were related to worse subjective sleep quality via older adults’ depressive symptoms. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Sleep, Circadian Rhythms and Aging Interest Group.

Download Full-text

Loving Others: The Impact of Compassionate Love on Later-Life Psychological Well-Being

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1554 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 480-481

Author(s):

Eva Kahana ◽

Tirth Bhatta ◽

Boaz Kahana ◽

Nirmala Lekhak

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Compassionate Love ◽

The Impact

Abstract Existing scholarship in social gerontology has surprisingly paid little attention to broader loving emotions, such as compassionate and altruistic love, as potentially meaningful mechanisms for improving later life psychological well-being. This study examined the influence of feeling love toward other persons and experiencing love from others on later life psychological well-being. We conducted a 3-wave longitudinal study of a representative sample of 340 ethnically heterogeneous community dwelling older residents of Miami, Florida. The increase in feeling of being loved (β=-1.53, p<0.001) and love for others (β=-1.43, p<0.001) led to decline in odds of reporting greater level of depressive symptoms over time. The odds of reporting higher level of positive affect were significantly greater for older adults who reported feeling loved by others (β=1.16, p<0.001) and expressed love for other people (β=1.18, p<0.01). Older adults who felt loved had 0.92-point lower ordered log odds of reporting higher negative affect than those who reported lower level of love. The impact of compassionate love on depressive symptoms and negative affect remained statistically significant even after adjustment for altruistic attitudes and emotional support. The influence of loving emotions on positive affect was, however, explained by altruistic attitudes and emotional support. Our findings underscore the powerful influence of both receiving and giving love for the maintenance of later life psychological well-being. We offer support for the expectation that love is a significant force in the lives of older adults that transcends intimate relationships.

Download Full-text

Longitudinal Relationships Between Subjective Cognitive Decline and Objective Memory: Depressive Symptoms Mediate Between-Person Associations

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-210230 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Nikki L. Hill ◽

Sakshi Bhargava ◽

Emily Bratlee-Whitaker ◽

Jennifer R. Turner ◽

Monique J. Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Well Being ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Future Research ◽

Over Time

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be an early indicator of cognitive impairment, but depressive symptoms can confound this relationship. Associations may be influenced by differences between individuals (i.e., between-persons) or how each individual changes in their experiences over time (i.e., within-persons). Objective: We examined depressive symptoms as a mediator of the between- and within-person associations of SCD and objective memory in older adults. Methods: Coordinated analyses were conducted across four datasets drawn from large longitudinal studies. Samples (range: n = 1,889 to n = 15,841) included participants 65 years of age or older with no dementia at baseline. We used multilevel structural equation modeling to examine the mediation of SCD and objective memory through depressive symptoms, as well as direct relationships among SCD, objective memory, and depressive symptoms. Results: Older adults who were more likely to report SCD had lower objective memory on average (between-person associations), and depressive symptoms partially mediated this relationship in three of four datasets. However, changes in depressive symptoms did not mediate the relationship between reports of SCD and declines in objective memory in three of four datasets (within-person associations). Conclusion: Individual differences in depressive symptoms, and not changes in an individual’s depressive symptoms over time, partially explain the link between SCD and objective memory. Older adults with SCD and depressive symptoms may be at greater risk for poor cognitive outcomes. Future research should explore how perceived changes in memory affect other aspects of psychological well-being, and how these relationships influence cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Download Full-text

Discordant Chronic Conditions and Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Associations Among Middle-Aged and Older Couples

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbz137 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Courtney A Polenick ◽

Kira S Birditt ◽

Angela Turkelson ◽

Benjamin C Bugajski ◽

Helen C Kales

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Older Couples ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual ◽

Over Time

Abstract Objectives Individuals often manage chronic conditions in middle and later life that may diminish well-being. Little is known, however, about discordant conditions (i.e., two or more conditions with competing self-management requirements) among older couples and their links to depressive symptoms. We considered discordant conditions at both the individual level and the couple level (i.e., between spouses), along with their long-term implications for depressive symptoms. Methods The U.S. sample included 1,116 middle-aged and older couples drawn from five waves (2006–2014) of the Health and Retirement Study. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models evaluated whether individual-level and couple-level discordant chronic health conditions were concurrently linked to depressive symptoms, and whether these associations became stronger over time. Models controlled for age, minority status, education, prior wave depressive symptoms, and each partner’s baseline report of negative marital quality and number of chronic conditions in each wave. Results Wives and husbands reported significantly greater depressive symptoms when they had individual-level discordant conditions about 2 years after baseline, and these links intensified over time. Beyond this association, husbands had significantly greater depressive symptoms when there were couple-level discordant conditions. Discussion Individual-level and couple-level discordant conditions may have lasting implications for depressive symptoms during midlife and older adulthood.

Download Full-text

Intergenerational Coresidence and Depressive Symptoms of Rural and Urban Older Adults in China

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x19888256 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (8) ◽

pp. 1282-1306

Author(s):

Jinyu Liu ◽

Lydia Li ◽

Zhenmei Zhang ◽

Hongwei Xu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Status ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Intergenerational Coresidence

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether gender and marital status of coresiding adult children are associated with depressive symptoms of Chinese older adults. Methods: Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, linear regression analysis was conducted to identify longitudinal associations of intergenerational coresidence with depressive symptoms in rural and urban older Chinese. Results: Both rural and urban older adults living with unmarried sons had significantly higher depressive symptoms at four-year follow-up than those who did not live with children. Living with married sons was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms at four-year follow-up among rural elders only. Discussion: This study sheds light on the heterogeneity in the relationship between intergenerational coresidence and Chinese older adults’ psychological well-being by the gender and marital status of coresiding children. Further research is needed to understand the complex and dynamic household structures and health outcomes in later life.

Download Full-text

EMOTIONS AND WELL-BEING IN LATER LIFE CHILDHOOD HAPPINESS, SELF-MASTERY, AND LATER-LIFE HEALTH

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2135 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S576-S576

Author(s):

Haena Lee ◽

Markus H Schafer

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Family Environment ◽

Social Life ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Adult Health ◽

Growing Up ◽

Self Rated Health

Abstract Considerable work has documented that positive childhood memories, especially childhood happiness, predict better health among young adults. However, it is not known whether growing up happy has enduring health consequences across the life course. Using two waves of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (2010-2011 and 2015-2016; N = 1,937), we investigate the relationship between childhood happiness and changes in physical, mental, and biological functioning in later life. Childhood happiness was retrospectively assessed using a question: “When I was growing up, my family life was always happy.” Self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and frailty over a five-year period were examined to reflect changes in functional status. Childhood SES and living arrangement were examined to assess childhood sociodemographic background. Educational attainment, family support and strain, and self-mastery were considered as potential mediators. We find that, among other childhood factors, childhood happiness significantly predicts older adult health. Specifically, childhood happiness was associated with better self-rated health and lower depressive symptoms at follow-up, net of baseline health conditions. We did not find a relationship between frailty and childhood happiness. Unlike prior work, we found no significant effect of childhood SES on the measured outcomes. Associations between childhood happiness and self-rated health and depression were mediated by psychosocial resources including self-mastery and perceived social support from family members. This implies that growing up in nurturing, cherished family environment has the potential to cultivate social relationships and build resilience which could provide an important pathway to successful aging.

Download Full-text

The psychosocial sources of sexual interest in older couples

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407517754148 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 615-631 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

James Iveniuk ◽

Linda J. Waite

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Social Life ◽

Sexual Interest ◽

Well Being ◽

Sex Characteristics ◽

Large Network ◽

Older Couples ◽

Using Data ◽

The Impact

Sexual activity with one’s partner is an important component of well-being and is linked to physical, emotional, and cognitive health. However, it is unclear why some older adults are more interested in sex and some less so. Their own characteristics, those of their partner, and characteristics of the relationship may all be important. We define sexual interest as consisting both of the motivation to seek sex with a partner and willingness to have sex when asked. We measure this construct using data from both members of 953 couples in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. We focus in this article on the impact of psychological and social factors on older adults’ interest in sex, as well as the impact of their partners’ characteristics on their own interest in sex. We find that individuals with high perceived positive marital quality, a more positive and open personality, a large network of family, and better physical health showed greater interest in sex. Characteristics of their partner generally had little association with sexual interest.

Download Full-text

Effects of Late-Life Health Transitions on Spouses’ Psychological Well-Being

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 297-298

Author(s):

Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽

Christina Marini ◽

Lynn Martire

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Life ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽

Spousal Health ◽

Health Transitions

Abstract Declining physical health likely affects not only older adults’ own well-being, but also that of their spouse. Using two waves of data from 610 couples in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, we examined effects of health declines over five years on change in self and spousal psychological well-being. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model findings showed that declines in spouses’ physical health (i.e., increased pain and decreased physical and cognitive function) predicted increases in older adults’ anxiety. Given the increasing importance of later-life social ties outside of marriage, we further considered the role of non-spousal health confidants. Preliminary findings suggest that effects of health declines on both partners’ well-being depend on the availability of these confidants. When older adults have people in addition to their spouse with whom they can talk about their health, detrimental effects of spouses’ declining health on older adults’ well-being are weakened for some health outcomes

Download Full-text

MOTIVATION TO LEARN, LITERACY, NUMERACY, AND LATER-LIFE ADULT EDUCATION PARTICIPATION IN THE U.S.

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2457 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S664-S664

Author(s):

Takashi Yamashita ◽

Phyllis Cummins ◽

Roberto J Millar ◽

Shalini Sahoo ◽

Thomas J Smith

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Adult Education ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Basic Skills ◽

Later Life ◽

Motivation To Learn ◽

Latent Construct ◽

Education Participation ◽

The U.S

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the associations between the motivation to learn, basic skills (i.e., literacy and numeracy), and organized formal and non-formal adult education and training (AET) participation among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. Rapid technological advancement and globalization requires that adults engage in lifelong learning to actively participate in society. However, little is known about the roles of motivation to learn and basic skills in AET participation among aging adults in the U.S. We obtained restricted data from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies, and included adults aged 50 years and older (n = 2,580) in the analysis. Structural equation models were used to examine (1) any AET, (2) formal AET and (3) non-formal AET participation as a function of the latent construct of motivation to learn, literacy and numeracy scores (0 – 500), and covariates. Per the confirmatory factor analysis, the motivation to learn latent construct was a valid measure among the older adults. Results from the structural equation models showed that the motivation to learn (b = 0.35, p < 0.05), literacy (b = 0.05, p < 0.05) and numeracy (b = 0.03, p < 0.05) are all positive predictors of non-formal AET participation. However, only motivation to learn (b = 0.47, p < 0.05) is associated with formal AET participation. Findings from this study inform future interventions as well as policy changes to promote specific types of organized AET programs among the aging populations in the U.S.

Download Full-text

DISCORDANT CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER COUPLES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.226 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S58-S58

Author(s):

Courtney A Polenick ◽

Kira S Birditt ◽

Angela Turkelson ◽

Benjamin Bugajski ◽

Helen C Kales

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Minority Status ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Older Couples ◽

Individual Level ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Discordant chronic conditions (i.e., those with competing management requirements) have adverse consequences for well-being, yet little is known about their implications among couples. We evaluated how depressive symptoms are linked to discordant conditions within individuals and between spouses across an 8-year period. The U.S. sample included 1,116 middle-aged and older couples from five waves (2006 – 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models controlled for age, minority status, education, depressive symptoms in the previous wave, and each partner’s report of baseline marital quality and number of chronic conditions in each wave. Wives and husbands with their own discordant conditions reported higher depressive symptoms, and this association intensified over time. Over and above this link, husbands had higher depressive symptoms when there were discordant conditions between spouses. Both individual-level and couple-level discordant chronic conditions appear to have enduring implications for depressive symptoms in middle and later life.

Download Full-text