Spousal Health Research Articles

Couples' mental health and increased Instagram consumption

This study looks at how Instagram affects couples' mental health in the digital age, highlighting both its benefits and drawbacks. Instagram has one billion active users per month, making it the most popular platform for sharing content that involves images. It talks about the possible negative effects of using Instagram, such as low self-esteem, cyberbullying, and social comparison. The study advises couples to set reasonable limits, use Instagram with awareness, and be open and honest about their online relationships. To support couples in navigating the digital world while placing a high priority on their mental health, mental health professionals should include discussions on digital dynamics in couple's therapy sessions. Instagram may have a detrimental effect on a couple's mental health by encouraging social comparison, jealousy, problems with trust, and excessive social media use. It can foster understanding and bring up pleasant memories, but it can also result in miscommunication and emotional distance. Although there is little data linking Instagram use to mental health, research has indicated that using the platform to browse Instagram might lessen loneliness while influencers' popular practice of broadcasting on the platform can make people feel more alone. Instagram and other picture-based platforms can help users establish a more robust social presence, which increases their effectiveness in reducing loneliness. The study identifies methodological difficulties in examining the mental health of spouses and makes recommendations for further research. It also covers relationship growth, social comparison dynamics, communication styles, and privacy concerns, as well as the ramifications for couples and therapists. It calls for more research and professional development to address the evolving digital couple's therapy landscape. The present study concludes by examining the impact of Instagram on mental health in a range of age groups and highlighting areas that require more investigation or development to alleviate the negative impacts of social media use on mental health.

Together in sickness and in health: Spillover of physical, mental, and cognitive health among older English couples.

Using data from eight waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, we study the cross-domain and cross-spouse spillover of health among married adults aged 50 and above in England. We apply the system generalized method of moments to linear dynamic panel models for physical, mental, and cognitive health, controlling for individual heterogeneity and the influence of marriage market matching and shared environments. Our findings reveal bidirectional spillovers between memory abilities and mobility difficulty among men, as well as between depressive symptoms and mobility difficulty among women. Worsening mobility increases the risk of depression in men, but not vice versa. Additionally, gender-specific cross-spouse effects are observed. Women's mental health is significantly influenced by their spouse's mental health, while this effect is weaker for men. Conversely, men's mental health is notably affected by their spouse's physical health. These results highlight the importance of considering spillovers within families and across health domains when developing policies to promote health and reduce health disparities among the elderly population.

Access to Justice: Protecting Spousal Health from Sexually Transmitted Diseases Transmission within Marriage

This study explores how Indonesia’s present regulatory framework navigates to protect spousal health from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) transmission within marriage. Employing a normative legal approach which combines statutory analysis and comparative methods. The analysis focuses on Indonesia’s regulatory framework. Findings reveal that the current regulations including the Constitution 1945, Health Law, Marriage Law, Elimination of Domestic Violence Law, Criminal Code, various Regional Regulations and Regulation of The Minister of Health. These regulations provide limited coverage of instances where individuals jeopardies the health of others, particularly spouses, through the transmission of STDs. Comparative analysis of Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, and the United Kingdom demonstrate a common emphasis on informed consent and risk mitigation, often achieved through criminalization of non-disclosure of HIV status. However, the study acknowledges the limitations of such punitive approaches in achieving sustainable public health outcomes. The conclusion proposes moving beyond the current framework. It suggests leveraging the Health Law’s framework for family health promotion and its association with disease control. This could involve establishing a regulatory system grounded in scientific research, prioritizing a consensual and holistic approach cantered on comprehensive education and prevention programs. This approach recognizes STDs as a social issue requiring collective action, contrasting with the tendency in some neighboring countries to view them solely as a medical concern. By addressing these legal gaps and fostering responsible sexual health practices within marriage, Indonesia can contribute to a healthier and more secure marital environment for its citizens.

Couples in breast cancer survivorship: Daily associations in relationship satisfaction, stress, and health

Romantic relationships are a key health determinant underlying both morbidity and mortality. Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser’s prolific research revealed cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and immune pathways connecting marriage to health and longevity. In addition to her empirical work, she developed conceptual models on marriage, the gut microbiome, stress reactivity, and spousal health concordance; these models guide and inspire mechanistic research, serve as essential readings for graduate students and mentees, and provide inspiration for researchers across career stages. This paper highlights Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser’s influential work, includes personal reflections and professional growth as past mentees, and provides Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser-inspired evidence linking relationships to health among couples in breast cancer survivorship. Using baseline questionnaires and daily dairies, breast cancer survivors (stage I-IIIB) and their cohabiting partners (60 individuals, 30 couples) rated their relationship satisfaction, stress, and physical health symptoms every day for 7 days. Results suggest that breast cancer survivors and their partners who felt more satisfied with their relationships also felt less stressed, both typically and on a daily basis. Survivors’ and partners’ lower stress was also associated with fewer physical health problems on average and in daily life. These findings demonstrate the daily stress and health advantages of satisfying relationships for both breast cancer survivors and their partners. We discuss the study’s implications and several avenues for Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser-inspired research addressing a relationship’s long-term health impact among couples in survivorship.

Hidden Morbidity in Cancer Care—Mental Health in Spouses

Hidden Morbidity in Cancer Care—Mental Health in Spouses

The effect of self-rated health on depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults: The mediating role of social participation and spouse health

This study investigates the relationship between self-rated health, social participation, spouse health, and depressive symptoms in older adults. It also analyzed the moderating effects of gender, drinking, visual function, diet, quality of life, and economic level on the model. We analyzed data from 5119 participants aged 60 and above, from the CLHLS. We used a partial least squares structural equation model to explore the correlation between self-rated health, spouse health, social participation, and depressive symptoms. Self-rated health was significantly correlated with spouse health, social participation, and depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). Social participation (β=-0.034) and spouse health (β=-0.029) were mediators of self-rated health to depressive symptoms. In addition, gender, drinking, visual function, diet, quality of life, and economic level were mediated factors. This study provides evidence that self-rated health has direct or indirect associations with depressive symptoms in older people, with social participation and spouse health playing a crucial mediating role.

Domestic violence among Quebec women during the health crisis: Trends and risk factors

This article examines the evolution of domestic violence (DV) among Quebec women during the Covid-19 pandemic and the factors associated with this phenomenon. Based on the literature, we observed that DV increased significantly in Quebec during the health crisis. Furthermore, it appears that job loss, which affected more women than men, increased social isolation, deterioration of the mental health of spouses, increased alcohol and cannabis consumption, and difficulties in reconciling work and family life are the factors that contribute most to the increase in DV in Quebec during this period.

Longitudinal association of health behaviors and health-related quality of life with military spouse readiness.

Unhealthy behaviors impose costs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reducing productivity and readiness among military members (Hoge et al., JAMA 295:1023-32, 2006; Mansfield et al. 362:101-9, 2010). Among married personnel in particular, patterns of spouse health behaviors may play an interdependent role. As a result, the identification of military spouse health factors related to readiness may inform strategies to screen for and identify those in need of greater support and enhance readiness. This study explored behavioral and HRQOL predictors and potential mediators of military spouse readiness utilizing data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study. The analytic sample comprised of 3257 spouses of active-duty, non-separated service members who responded to both waves 1 and 2 of the survey. Sample characteristics are described with respect to demographics (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, etc.), readiness measures (i.e., military satisfaction, lost workdays, health care utilization, military-related stress, and satisfaction), health behaviors (i.e., exercise, sleep, smoking, and alcohol use) and HRQOL (Veterans RAND 12-Item Short Form Survey). We conducted multivariate mediation analyses to evaluate the role of mental and physical HRQOL as mediators between the baseline health behaviors and the health readiness outcomes at follow-up, while adjusting for spouse and service member demographics. HRQOL had direct effects for all five readiness outcomes examined. Multiple health behaviors (insomnia, smoking, binge drinking, and exercise) were further significantly associated with spouse readiness outcomes, although most effects were mediated through HRQOL, suggesting this may be a useful index of military spouse readiness. Insomnia was the specific health behavior most consistently associated with poorer readiness across outcomes, and effects were only partially mediated by physical and mental HRQOL. The results show spouse health behaviors are directly and indirectly (through HRQOL) associated with readiness indicators. This suggests that assessments of modifiable health behaviors (e.g., insomnia symptoms) and mental and physical HRQOL are important indicators of readiness among military spouses and should be used to inform future programs designed to improve population health.

Role of military context and couple well-being in the psychological vulnerability of military wives in the United States

LAY SUMMARY The psychological health of military spouses is essential for the health and readiness of the family system. Thus, it is essential to understand contextual and familial factors that play a role in the psychological vulnerability of military spouses. This study examined how aspects of military life (number of deployments, perceived social support from the military community, and assessments of military life satisfaction) and family life (namely, couple well-being) played a role in the psychological vulnerability (depressive symptoms and personal well-being) of 222 U.S. military wives. Results suggested that when military wives felt more social support from the military community, they typically reported greater well-being. Wives who were more satisfied with military life tended to indicate better couple well-being. In turn, greater couple well-being was linked to less psychological vulnerability, specifically, fewer depressive symptoms and higher well-being. Overall, the military context had some bearing on the psychological vulnerability of military wives, especially when they did not feel supported by the military community. Importantly, however, the couple relationship appeared to be the most salient factor associated with the psychological vulnerability of military wives. Promoting healthier couple relationships appears to be a potential leverage point for intervention.

From Organizing Medicine to Cooking With More Leafy Greens: A Dyadic, Qualitative Analysis of How Older African American Couples Take Care of Each Other's Health.

Guided by the Dyadic Theory of Illness Management, we explored spousal health management behaviors and their congruence within seventeen older African American married couples participating in a dyadic exercise intervention. Both prior to and after the intervention, spouses reported how they took care of their partner's health as well as what their partner did for them. Data were analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis, and five health management behaviors domains were identified (diet, exercise, self-care, medical compliance, relationship maintenance). Both partners were most likely to encourage healthier diets and exercise. Wives tended to report more behaviors compared to husbands. Couples had little congruence in their appraisals of each other's health management behaviors, and patterns were stable over time. Findings suggest incongruence in couples' health management behaviors represented complementary, collaborative efforts to support each other and that husbands may underestimate how much care they both provide to and receive from their wives.

Spousal health, marital satisfaction, and older Chinese adults’ sleep: The moderating role of psychological resilience

PurposesThis study aims to examine the moderating role of psychological resilience in the association between two common marital relationship stressors (poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction) and sleep (sleep quality and sleep duration) among older adults in China. MethodsThis study used four waves of data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008–2018) (N = 8769), and mixed-effects logistic models were used. ResultsPoor spousal health and low marital satisfaction were independently associated with increased odds of poor sleep quality and short sleep duration, and decreased odds of long sleep duration. Greater psychological resilience was associated with increased odds of good sleep quality and decreased odds of short sleep duration, but had no significant effect on long sleep duration. In addition, psychological resilience moderated the odds of poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction on the risk of short sleep duration among older Chinese adults. ConclusionThe findings provide novel evidence for the increased importance of marital stress and psychological resilience on sleep health in later life. Policy interventions are needed to support vulnerable older adults who experience poor spousal health and/or low marital satisfaction.

Air pollution, spouse health, and labor supply decision of married individuals

Air pollution, spouse health, and labor supply decision of married individuals

“I too have a responsibility for my partner's life”: Communal coping among Malawian couples living with HIV and cardiometabolic disorders

RationaleHIV and cardiometabolic disorders including hypertension and diabetes pose a serious double threat in Malawi. Supportive couple relationships may be an important resource for managing these conditions. According to the theory of communal coping, couples will more effectively manage illness if they view the illness as “our problem” (shared illness appraisal) and are united in shared behavioral efforts. MethodsThis study qualitatively investigated communal coping of 25 couples living with HIV and hypertension or diabetes in Zomba, Malawi. Partners were interviewed separately regarding relationship quality, shared illness appraisal, communal coping, and dyadic management of illness. ResultsMost participants (80%) were living with HIV, and more than half were also living with hypertension. Most participants expressed high levels of unity and the view that illness was “our problem.” In some couples, partners expected but did not extend help and support and reported little collaboration. Communal coping and dyadic management were strongly gendered. Some women reported a one-sided support relationship in which they gave but did not receive support. Women were also more likely to initiate support interactions and offered more varied support than men. In couples with poor relationship quality and weak communal coping, dyadic management of illness was also weak. Partner support was particularly crucial for dietary changes, as women typically prepared meals for the entire family. Other lifestyle changes that could be supported or hindered by a partner included exercise, stress reduction, and medication adherence. ConclusionWe conclude that gendered power imbalances may influence the extent to which couple-level ideals translate into actual communal coping and health behaviors. Given that spouses and families of patients are also at risk due to shared environments, we call for a shift from an illness management paradigm to a paradigm of optimizing health for spouses and families regardless of diabetes or hypertension diagnosis.

The “spillover effect” of long-term care insurance in China on spouses’ health and well-being

This study examined the spillover effect of long-term care insurance (LTCI) on the health outcomes and well-being of spouses for Chinese middle and old-aged adults with expected LTC demand or actual care burdens. Using panel data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2011 and 2018, we investigated the impact of the introduction of LTCI pilots across several cities on old individuals by using the difference-in-differences (DID) approach. We found a spillover effect of LTCI on the health and well-being outcomes of spouses of middle and old-aged individuals with functional limitations. It might due to the fact that LTCI could relieve economic burden by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenditures, which further affects health and well-being of spouses. The spillover effect on health and well-being was found to be stronger for male spouses and low-educated spouses. Spouses of the individuals aged below 80 years old and those live without adult children were more likely to benefit from the introduction of LTCI. Moreover, providing combination benefits seems to make spouses better off than offering direct services. Therefore, the results implied that the expansion of LTCI not only helped the care recipients themselves but could also improve the health and well-being of the spouses of functionally impaired older adults.

Retirement Spillover Effects on Spousal Health in Urban China

Retirement Spillover Effects on Spousal Health in Urban China

Does anxiety cause angina recurrence after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with STEMI?

Statistics show that approximately 70% of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) experience relief from chest pain symptoms within 48 h post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, over 30% of these patients still suffer from angina post-PCI during their hospital stay and after discharge. Although the interrelation between cardiovascular diseases and psychological states, notably anxiety and stress, has been extensively studied and acknowledged, the specific influence of anxiety disorders on post-PCI clinical outcomes for STEMI patients, especially the recurrence of angina, remains undefined. This study included a total of 324 STEMI patients who underwent PCI treatment due to chest pain in our hospital. Baseline and surgical data for all patients were collected. During their hospital stay, patients' emotional states were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, while angina was evaluated using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. All patients were followed up for 6 months post-discharge to gather clinical data and outcomes, analyzing whether anxiety disorders would affect the recurrence of angina post-PCI in STEMI patients. Out of the 324 patients, 82 experienced recurrent angina symptoms within 6 months post-PCI discharge. Compared to the non-recurrence group, the recurrence group showed statistically significant differences in anxiety levels. Other differing factors included the spouse's health status, cardiac Killip classification, severity of coronary lesions, and the state of the coronary microcirculation. After utilizing propensity score matching to eliminate inherent biases between the two groups at a 1:1 ratio, the COX regression analysis indicated that a patient's anxiety status is a risk factor for the occurrence of angina post-PCI in STEMI patients (HR = 2.094, 95% CI = 1.248-3.514, P = 0.005). Anxiety is a significant factor for short-term recurrence of angina post-PCI in STEMI patients. This further confirms the crucial impact of mental health on cardiovascular wellness.

Barriers and Enablers to Implementing a Smoke-free Home and Car During Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study Among Expectant Israeli Fathers.

Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy is a significant cause of negative health effects. This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators for implementing a smoke-free home and car among expectant Israeli fathers. Twenty-four qualitative semistructured telephone interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to a reflexive and collaborative thematic approach. Inclusion criteria were being male, Hebrew speaker, age ≥18 years, smoking at least one cigarette a day, and living with their nonsmoking pregnant spouse. The Capability, Opportunity and Motivation for Behavior (COM-B) model was used as a theoretical model for analysis. Participants reported feeling a strong responsibility for their pregnant spouse's comfort and health, stating that they are doing the best they can to reduce their spouse's secondhand smoke exposure (Motivation). Participants had a low level of knowledge about specific secondhand smoke health consequences, effective strategies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure, with incorrect perceptions about what constitutes exposure (Capability). Couple relationships were not affected by the husband's smoking habits, and participants expressed mutual consideration and understanding (Opportunity). Participants also expressed positive attitudes regarding smoke-free home and car implementation but emphasized that any changes have to be their own decision (Motivation). The present study identified principal Capability, Opportunity and Motivation barriers and facilitators that influence Israeli expectant fathers' decision to implement a smoke-free home and car. Those findings will inform the development of a digital behavioral intervention targeting expectant fathers to reduce prenatal secondhand smoke exposure. Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy is a significant cause of negative health effects. Interventions among expectant fathers that focus on creating a smoke-free home and car may be effective because pregnancy has been identified as a "window of opportunity" that generates a strong motivation and creates a sense of urgency to change smoking behavior, while being considered more achievable than smoking cessation. Interventions might be effective if they focus on strengthening the parental responsibility among expectant fathers and emphasize the benefits of a smoke-free home and car, while maintaining male autonomy and increasing skills to effectively implement a smoke-free home and car.

Subliminal voices: barriers to healthcare and proposed interventions by international students and their families at a large research university in the Midwest

Despite the vast numbers of international students in the U.S. as well as their contribution to the economy, their voices are rarely heard within the discursive spaces of the American academe. This study takes a step toward filling that gap and seeks to open up a platform where married, international graduate students at a large Midwestern university could communicate, in particular, the barriers they faced while accessing healthcare facilities for their families. Using a culture-centered approach to health communication, through focus groups and in-depth interviews, this study provides a discursive space where 22 international students and spouses articulate vivid narratives of the problems they encountered while negotiating the American healthcare system, revealing a basic issue of unaffordability of students' spousal health insurance, accompanied by a dire need for better communication between international students and the university, with there being a need for the latter to better explain to international students a healthcare system that is new to them, as well as communicating with them, with better clarity, the available healthcare options for them and their spouses. The participants also proposed interventions to redress the problems, including the need for better dissemination of information regarding healthcare.

Unplanned Costs and Benefits: Gender and Spousal Spillover Effects of Retirement on Health.

Our study assesses how women and men's health indicators are shaped by their spouse's retirement. The retirement process can reshape the health of a retiree, but these effects can also extend onto the health of spouses. Although past research has largely focused on how men's retirement might negatively shape their wife's health outcomes, it is possible that wives' retirement has detrimental effects on their husband's health as well. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we employ a fuzzy regression discontinuity design to identify the causal effects of spousal retirement on indicators of physical and mental health in married older adults. Our results suggested that men, not women, experience the most negative spousal spillover effects of retirement on their health outcomes. We found the most support for spillover effects on spouses' physical health outcomes. Additionally, men who are not working when their spouse retires experienced the most negative health effects. Women and men's health is differentially affected by spousal retirement, where men might be the most negatively affected by their spouses' transition in the U.S. context. These results contradict conventional wisdom that undergirds numerous untested assumptions underlying prior research on this significant life transition.

Impacts of Caregiving on Health of New Spousal Caregivers to Older Adults in the United States: A Coarsened Exact Matching Analysis.

Spousal caregivers of older adults, especially new spousal caregivers, face increased risks of negative health outcomes due to the demands of caregiving and their own health decline. Estimating the impacts of caregiving on health without controlling for caregivers' own aging-related health decline could exaggerate the negative health consequences of caregiving, while focusing solely on caregivers could result in selection bias where healthier individuals enter and/or remain in caregiving. This study aims to estimate the impacts of caregiving on health of new spousal caregivers while controlling for observable confounders. We utilized coarsened exact matching analysis to compare health outcomes between new spousal caregivers and spousal non-caregivers using pooled panel data from 2006 to 2018 in the Health and Retirement Study. We analyzed 242,123 person-wave observations from 42,180 unique individuals, among whom 3,927 were new spousal caregivers. Variables used for matching were classified into three categories: care needs, willingness to provide care, and ability to provide care. Two-year outcomes assessed are spouse's self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning. A total of 3,417 (87.01%) new spousal caregivers were matched with 129,798 observations of spousal non-caregivers. Regression analysis indicated being a new spousal caregiver was associated with a 0.18 (SE=0.05) unit increase in number of depressive symptoms. No statistically significant results were identified for self-rated health and cognitive functioning. Our results highlighted the needs to address mental health among new spousal caregivers and emphasized the importance of addressing mental health in long-term care programs and policies.