Mental and Physical Health Consequences of Spousal Health Shocks Among Older Adults

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  • Giuseppina Valle
    Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
  • Janet A. Weeks
    Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
  • Miles G. Taylor
    Pepper Institute for Aging and Public Policy, Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
  • Isaac W. Eberstein
    Center for Demography and Population Health, Department of Sociology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

Description

<jats:p>Objective: To examine how the experience of a negative health event (i.e., onset of heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, cancer, or stroke) of one spouse affects the mental and physical well-being of the other partner as measured by depressive symptoms and self-reported health. Methods: We employ latent growth curve analysis and examine adults 50+ using six waves of data (1998-2008) from the Health and Retirement Study. Results: One spouse’s health shock affects the health of the other partner. Results indicate that a spouse’s onset of a severe health condition worsens the mental health of women and the self-reported health of men. Discussion: These findings illustrate that the family context of spouses is important to consider when examining health.</jats:p>

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