1. The relationship between perceived support and depression in spousal care partners: a dyadic approach
- Author
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Neela K. Patel, Carole L. White, and Kylie Meyer
- Subjects
media_common.quotation_subject ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Article ,Developmental psychology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Social support ,0302 clinical medicine ,Perception ,Adaptation, Psychological ,Humans ,Spouses ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,media_common ,030214 geriatrics ,Depression ,Stressor ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Caregivers ,General partnership ,Geriatrics and Gerontology ,Pshychiatric Mental Health ,Psychology ,Gerontology ,psychological phenomena and processes ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Caregiving within a spousal partnership marks a novel relationship stage for couples. Caregiving introduces new stressors and affects couples’ ability to cope, and potentially alters perceptions of emotional support. Prior research on older married couples illustrates how perceived support not only affects an individual’s mental health, but also that of their partner. To date, the dyadic relationship between emotional support and mental health is largely unexamined among caregiving partners, where support expectations may differ. METHOD: Actor partner interdependence models using linear mixed modeling were applied to data from spouses where one partner received caregiving within the 2014 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We examined the cross-sectional and lagged associations between perceived emotional support and strain from a spouse on actor and partner depression scores, as well as whether one was the caregiver or the care recipient moderated associations. RESULTS: More positive perceptions of support were associated with lower depression scores for oneself (b=−0.55, p-value
- Published
- 2020
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