Work

Self-Rated Health and Depressive Symptoms in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease and Their Spouses: A Longitudinal Dyadic Analysis of Late-Life Marriages

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Limited research has examined the ways in which changes in self-rated health experienced by aging spouses affect depressive symptoms of both members of the dyad. Longitudinal data from 315 older couples in which one partner had end-stage renal disease were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Results indicate that for both patients and spouses, own mean self-rated health was associated with own depressive symptoms, and change in self-rated health had a significant negative association with change in own depressive symptoms. Both mean self-rated health of the patient and change in patient's self-rated health had negative relationships with spouse depressive symptoms, with changes in patient's self-rated health having a stronger impact on spouse depressive symptoms than changes in spouse's own self-rated health. Results suggest the importance of understanding physical and mental health in the context of the marital dyad.

Source: The Journals of Gerontology Series B

DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbp006

Authors: R. Pruchno, M. Wilson-Genderson, F. Cartwright

Institution: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Language: English

Topic: Aging, Health, and Disability

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research