Two-Wave Dyadic Analysis of Marital Quality and Loneliness in Later Life: Results From the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Abstract

This study examines dyadic reports of marital quality and loneliness over a two-year period among 932 older married couples resident in Ireland. Data from the first two waves of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (2009-2013) were analyzed to determine whether husbands' and wives' marital quality and loneliness at baseline predicted both spouses' loneliness 2 years later. Two-wave lagged models tested the cognitive perspective on loneliness, the induction hypothesis, and actor-partner interdependence. Results indicated that perceptions of negative marital quality at baseline were related with greater loneliness 2 years later, supporting the cognitive perspective. Further, both spouses' reports of loneliness at baseline were related with loneliness 2 years later, supporting the induction hypothesis. Partners' reports of marital quality were not related with future loneliness, failing to support actor-partner interdependence. I discuss the implications of these findings for theory, practice, and future research concerning intimate relationships and loneliness in later life.