Linking retirement experiences and marital satisfaction: a mediational model

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Retirement transition significantly impacts individuals' lives.
• Understanding factors influencing marital satisfaction during retirement is crucial for well-being.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the indirect pathways linking retirement experiences to marital outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and test a mediational model linking the experience of retirement with marital satisfaction.
• To examine the sequential effects of retirement experiences on context-specific and context-free well-being.
• To investigate the direct and indirect pathways influencing marital satisfaction in retirees.

Main Methods:

• Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed mediational model.
• Data were collected from 164 retirees with a mean age of 69 years.
• Cross-lagged regression analyses were used to examine the directionality of effects, particularly for depressive symptoms.

Main Results:

• The proposed mediational model, where retirement experiences influence marital satisfaction through well-being, was supported.
• A revised model including a direct effect of retirement satisfaction on marital satisfaction also showed support.
• An alternative model where depressive symptoms predict outcomes was not supported; marital dissatisfaction did not lead to depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Retirement experiences indirectly influence marital satisfaction via sequential effects on well-being and retirement-specific satisfaction.
• Depressive symptoms play a mediational role, not a predictive one, in the relationship between retirement experiences and marital satisfaction.
• Findings offer conceptual and practical insights for supporting marital quality during the retirement transition.