@article {1102, title = {Spousal suffering and partner{\textquoteright}s depression and cardiovascular disease: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Am J Geriatr Psychiatry}, volume = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Mar}, pages = {246-54}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of suffering in a spouse on prevalent and incident psychiatric (depression) and physical morbidity (cardiovascular disease [CVD]) in their partner, controlling for known risk factors for depression and CVD.

DESIGN: Descriptive longitudinal study.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,330 older married couples enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a large epidemiologic study of the elderly.

MEASUREMENTS: Predictor variables were physical, psychological, and existential/spiritual indicators of suffering. Primary outcomes were prevalent and incident depression and CVD.

RESULTS: Controlling for known risk factors for depression, the authors found a dose-response relationship between suffering in a spouse and concurrent depression in their partner as well as a relationship between suffering and the partner{\textquoteright}s future risk for depression. With respect to CVD, and controlling for subclinical CVD at baseline, husbands whose wives reported high levels of suffering also had higher rates of prevalent CVD, but there were no significant associations between wives suffering and husbands incident CVD. There were no associations between husbands{\textquoteright} suffering and wives{\textquoteright} prevalent or incident CVD.

CONCLUSION: Exposure to spousal suffering is an independent and unique source of distress in married couples that contributes to psychiatric and physical morbidity. More attention should be paid to the interpersonal effects of suffering in married couples and to its role in contributing to morbidity.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Caregivers, Depression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Logistic Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Spouses, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1097/JGP.0b013e318198775b}, author = {Schulz, Richard and Beach, Scott R and Hebert, Randy S and Martire, Lynn M and Monin, Joan K and Tompkins, Connie A and Albert, Steven M} } @article {6696, title = {Husbands{\textquoteright} and Wives{\textquoteright} Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Findings from the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Ann Behav Med}, volume = {49}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Oct}, pages = {704-14}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: When examining older adults{\textquoteright} health behaviors and psychological health, it is important to consider the social context.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine in older adult marriages whether each spouse{\textquoteright}s physical activity predicted changes in their own (actor effects) and their partner{\textquoteright}s (partner effects) depressive symptoms. Gender differences were also examined.

METHOD: Each spouse within 1260 married couples (at baseline) in the Cardiovascular Health Study completed self-report measures at wave 1 (1989-1990), wave 3 (1992-1993), and wave 7 (1996-1997). Dyadic path analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Husbands{\textquoteright} physical activity significantly predicted own decreased depressive symptoms (actor effect). For both spouses, own physical activity did not significantly predict the spouse{\textquoteright}s depressive symptoms (partner effects). However, husbands{\textquoteright} physical activity and depressive symptoms predicted wives{\textquoteright} physical activity and depressive symptoms (partner effects), respectively. Depressive symptoms did not predict physical activity.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that husbands{\textquoteright} physical activity is particularly influential for older married couples{\textquoteright} psychological health.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cardiovascular System, Depression, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Motor Activity, Sex Characteristics, Spouses}, issn = {1532-4796}, doi = {10.1007/s12160-015-9705-4}, author = {Monin, Joan K and Levy, Becca and Chen, Baibing and Fried, Terri and Stahl, Sarah T and Schulz, Richard and Doyle, Margaret and Kershaw, Trace} } @article {7806, title = {Longitudinal Associations Between Cognitive Functioning and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adult Spouses in the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Am J Geriatr Psychiatry}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Jul 03}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine the bidirectional associations between older adult spouses{\textquoteright} cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms over time.

DESIGN: Longitudinal, dyadic path analysis with the actor-partner interdependence model.

SETTING: Data were from visit 5 (1992/1993), visit 8 (1995/1996), and visit 11 (1998/1999) of the Cardiovascular Health Study, a multisite, longitudinal, observational study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults 65 years or older. Demographic information was from the 1989/1990 original and 1992/1993 African American cohort baseline visits.

PARTICIPANTS: Husbands and wives from 1,028 community-dwelling married couples (N = 2,065).

MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive functioning was measured with the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Age, education, and disability (activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living) were included as covariates.

RESULTS: Cross-partner associations (partner effects) revealed that one spouse{\textquoteright}s greater depressive symptoms predicted the other spouse{\textquoteright}s lower cognitive functioning, but a spouse{\textquoteright}s lower cognitive functioning did not predict the other spouse{\textquoteright}s greater depressive symptoms over time. Within-individual associations (actor effects) revealed that an individual{\textquoteright}s lower cognitive functioning predicted the individual{\textquoteright}s greater depressive symptoms over time, but greater depressive symptoms did not predict lower cognitive functioning over time. Effects did not differ for husbands and wives.

CONCLUSION: Having a spouse who is depressed may increase one{\textquoteright}s risk of cognitive decline as well as one{\textquoteright}s risk of depression. Interventions for preventing cognitive decline and depression among older adults may be enhanced by considering the marital context.

}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2018.06.010}, author = {Monin, Joan K and Doyle, Margaret and Van Ness, Peter H and Schulz, Richard and Marottoli, Richard A and Birditt, Kira and Feeney, Brooke C and Kershaw, Trace} } @article {7772, title = {Time-varying social support and time to death in the cardiovascular health study.}, journal = {Health Psychol}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Sep 10}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: There is a consensus that social connectedness is integral for a long, healthy life. However, studies of social support and survival have primarily relied on baseline social support measures, potentially missing the effects of fluctuations of perceived support over time. This is especially important for older adults who experience increased changes in disability. This study examined whether among older adults time-varying perceived social support was associated with time to death (main effect model of support) and whether time-varying disability was a modifier (stress-buffering model of support). Gender and marital status were also examined as modifiers.

METHODS: Older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study ( = 5,201) completed self- report measures of demographics and psychological health and clinical risk factors for mortality at baseline (1989-1990). Perceived social support and disability were measured from baseline through Wave 11 (1998-1999). Cox regression of time to death with time-varying covariates was performed.

RESULTS: Time-varying as well as baseline-only perceived social support was associated with greater survival in the unadjusted models but not after adjustment. Gender, marital status, and time-varying disability were not significant modifiers.

CONCLUSIONS: In contrast with the previously reported association between baseline individual differences in perceived social support and time to death, older adults{\textquoteright} baseline-only and fluctuating perceptions of perceived support over time were not associated with time to death after adjustment for other clinical physical and psychological risk factors. Research is needed to identify other relationship factors that may be more informative as time-varying predictors of health and longevity in large longitudinal data sets. (PsycINFO Database Record

}, issn = {1930-7810}, doi = {10.1037/hea0000660}, author = {MacNeil-Vroomen, Janet and Schulz, Richard and Doyle, Margaret and Murphy, Terrence E and Ives, Diane G and Monin, Joan K} }