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Is it contagious? Affect similarity among spouses.

C R Goodman1, R A Shippy

  • 1Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute, Lighthouse International, New York, NY 10022-1202, USA. CGood@Lighthouse.org

Aging & Mental Health
|September 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Spouses of elders with vision impairment may experience similar depressive symptoms. Factors like race, health, and caregiving burden influence spouse depression, with elder depression being a significant predictor.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Emotional contagion theories propose mutual affective experiences between spouses.
  • Empirical evidence for emotional contagion, particularly concerning depressive symptoms in older couples, remains limited.
  • Older adults with vision impairment face unique challenges that can impact their spouses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate affect similarity in depressive symptoms between elders with vision impairment and their spouses.
  • To examine predictors of depressive symptoms in spouses of elders experiencing vision loss.
  • To test the hypothesis of emotional contagion within a dyadic context of aging and disability.

Main Methods:

  • A dyadic approach was employed, interviewing 123 elders with recent vision loss and their respective spouses.
  • Hierarchical regression analyses were utilized to identify significant predictors of spouse depressive symptoms.
  • Data were collected as part of a larger investigation into the experiences of older couples coping with disability.

Main Results:

  • Spouse's race, health status, care-giving appraisal, self-efficacy, and family conflict were significant predictors of spouse depression.
  • Poorer health, higher care-giving burden, increased family conflict, and lower self-efficacy were associated with higher spouse depression.
  • Depressive symptoms in the elder with vision impairment uniquely contributed to predicting depressive symptoms in their spouse.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the theory of affect similarity between spouses, indicating emotional contagion of depressive symptoms.
  • Elder depression is a significant factor influencing the mental health of their spouses.
  • Interventions addressing elder depression may also benefit the mental well-being of their spouses, particularly in the context of vision impairment.

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