%0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology: Series B %D 2021 %T Discordant Chronic Conditions and Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Associations Among Middle-Aged and Older Couples %A Courtney A Polenick %A Kira S. Birditt %A Turkelson, Angela %A Bugajski, Benjamin C %A Helen C Kales %K Chronic conditions %K Couples %K Depressive symptoms %K Longitudinal analysis %X 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.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.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.Individual-level and couple-level discordant conditions may have lasting implications for depressive symptoms during midlife and older adulthood. %B The Journals of Gerontology: Series B %V 76 %P 451-460 %G eng %N 3 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbz137 %0 Journal Article %J J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %D 2018 %T Drinking Patterns Among Older Couples: Longitudinal Associations With Negative Marital Quality. %A Kira S. Birditt %A James A. Cranford %A Jasmine A Manalel %A Toni C Antonucci %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Alcohol Drinking %K Family Conflict %K Female %K Humans %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Marriage %K Middle Aged %K Sex Factors %K Spouses %X

Objectives: Research with younger couples indicates that alcohol use has powerful effects on marital quality, but less work has examined the effects of drinking among older couples. This study examined whether dyadic patterns of drinking status among older couples are associated with negative marital quality over time.

Method: Married participants (N = 4864) from the Health and Retirement Study reported on alcohol consumption (whether they drink alcohol and average amount consumed per week) and negative marital quality (e.g., criticism and demands) across two waves (Wave 1 2006/2008 and Wave 2 2010/2012).

Results: Concordant drinking couples reported decreased negative marital quality over time, and these links were significantly greater among wives. Wives who reported drinking alcohol reported decreased negative marital quality over time when husbands also reported drinking and increased negative marital quality over time when husbands reported not drinking.

Discussion: The present findings stress the importance of considering the drinking status rather than the amount of alcohol consumed of both members of the couple when attempting to understand drinking and marital quality among older couples. These findings are particularly salient given the increased drinking among baby boomers and the importance of marital quality for health among older couples.

%B J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci %V 73 %P 655-665 %8 2018 04 16 %G eng %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27353031 %N 4 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27353031?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1093/geronb/gbw073 %0 Journal Article %J Health Psychology %D 2018 %T Dyadic Effects of Depressive Symptoms on Medical Morbidity in Middle-Aged and Older Couples. %A Courtney A Polenick %A Brenna N Renn %A Kira S. Birditt %K Couples %K Depressive symptoms %K Disease %B Health Psychology %V 37 %P 28-36 %G eng %U http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/hea0000573http://psycnet.apa.org/psycarticles/2017-52080-001.pdf %N 1 %! Health Psychology %R 10.1037/hea0000573