Are older men more vulnerable to depression than women after losing their spouse? Evidence from three German old-age cohorts (AgeDifferent.de platform)

Förster, Franziska; Pabst, Alexander; Stein, Janine; Röhr, Susanne; Löbner, Margrit; Heser, Kathrin; Miebach, Lisa; Stark, Anne; Hajek, André; Wiese, Birgitt; Maier, Wolfgang; Angermeyer, Matthias C.; Scherer, Martin; Wagner, Michael; König, Hans‐Helmut; Riedel‐Heller, Steffi G.

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.047

Cited by 33 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…However, a man’s relationship with his wife is the greatest determinant of the quality of his health; thus, the loss of his wife may affect him to a greater extent than the loss of any other person in his life. This result is consistent with many other studies conducted in other cultures regarding the effect of elderly spouses on each other’s health status and well-being (Al-Kandari & Crews, 2017; Aniruddha, 2013; Förster et al, 2019; van Grootheest et al, 1999). The distinguishing feature of this study is that it identifies the importance of social support among the elderly in a specific Arabic country.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Elderly men are more affected than women in this respect (Forster et al, 2019; Sasson & Umberson, 2014; Umberson et al, 1992). Although an older widow may, in general, lose the financial support of her husband, an elderly man with no living wife becomes the mediator of all household management (Sasson & Umberson, 2014; Umberson et al, 1992), a major role that was formerly the responsibility of the wife.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although an older widow may, in general, lose the financial support of her husband, an elderly man with no living wife becomes the mediator of all household management (Sasson & Umberson, 2014; Umberson et al, 1992), a major role that was formerly the responsibility of the wife. While Forster et al (2019) state that men become more depressed after the loss of their spouses, other studies report the opposite, linking this to physiological vulnerability (Aniruddha, 2013; Parke et al, 2018), cultural differences, and the role of the wife in the household. But, in general, men are affected more than women, though some will find other social support elements to help them adapt to this traumatic event, like religion and spirituality (Mcduffie, 2019; Michael et al, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Older Men With Living Spouses Versus Men Without Spouses: An Example From the Arab World—Kuwait

Al-Kandari

2020

Am J Mens Health

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This research is concentrated on elderly Kuwait men and the effect that losing wife, a major determinant of social support, has on their general health. A sample of 472 older male adults aged 60 years and older have been included in this study. A questionnaire was the major tool of the study. The questionnaire included sociocultural information and social support scales (Degree of Religiosity, Social Support Scale, Frequency of Contact, and Strength of Relation scales). Health measurements also were used: two, one-item self-reported health scales in the current year and last year and a Somatic Symptoms Inventory (SSI) were used. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and glucose levels were taken. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 21) was used for data entry and analysis. t-test and regression were the major statistical procedures. Data show that there are differences between elderly men with a living wife compared to those without a living wife. Having a living wife was positively associated with better social support and health in Kuwaiti elderly men. Data show that a living wife is an important factor of men’s health and well-being in general and that a wife is one of the major social support elements of elderly men.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Older Men With Living Spouses Versus Men Without Spouses: An Example From the Arab World—Kuwait

Al-Kandari

2020

Am J Mens Health

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“…Additionally, women have also a lower probability of being subsequently remarried and have a greater risk of living alone in old age [ 11 , 24 ]. Studies also suggest that men and women react differently to widowhood [ 25 ]. Because of these differences, it is important that research also focus on sex differences in the individual factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Social Isolation and the Development of Depression. A Comparison of the Widowed and Married Oldest Old in Germany

Förster

Luppa

Pabst

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Widowhood is common in old age, can be accompanied by serious health consequences and is often linked to substantial changes in social network. Little is known about the impact of social isolation on the development of depressive symptoms over time taking widowhood into account. We provide results from the follow-up 5 to follow-up 9 from the longitudinal study AgeCoDe and its follow-up study AgeQualiDe. Depression was measured with GDS-15 and social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). The group was aligned of married and widowed people in old age and education through entropy balancing. Linear mixed models were used to examine the frequency of occurrence of depressive symptoms for widowed and married elderly people depending on the risk of social isolation. Our study shows that widowhood alone does not lead to an increased occurrence of depressive symptoms. However, “widowed oldest old”, who are also at risk of social isolation, have significantly more depressive symptoms than those without risk. In the group of “married oldest old”, women have significantly more depressive symptoms than men, but isolated and non-isolated do not differ. Especially for people who have lost a spouse, the social network changes significantly and increases the risk for social isolation. This represents a risk factor for the occurrence of depressive symptoms.

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“…On the other hand, men often report having a high proportion of family members in their networks and marriage plays a more pivotal role for men as men tend to rely on their wives. Men's mental health is more sensitive to changes in spouse relations, including losing a spouse [37]. Spousal network overlap indicates that couples share their personal networks and are embedded in each other's social relationships.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in the longitudinal association between husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms among Korean older adults: the moderating effects of the spousal relationship

2021

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Purpose: The mutual effects of depressive symptoms between couples have long been reported; however, it remains unknown whether the spousal concordance of depression differs depending on spousal relationships.Method: Data on 291 married couples from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) were examined. The KSHAP collected global network data from the target population living in one Korean village over eight years and across ve waves. A seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model in the panel data was employed to address correlation and heterogeneity.Results: If one spouse (husband or wife) had depressive symptoms, the other spouse tended to have depressive symptoms. However, the effect of marital relations on spousal concordance for depression was different in husbands and wives. This study demonstrated both spousal support aspects and spousal network aspects of spousal relationships. Depression concordance was more substantial for couples with a more negative marital relationship. A supportive marital relationship mitigated the impact of a husband's depression on his wife's depression but did not work in the opposite case. Spousal network overlap decreased the effect of a wife's depression on her husband's depression, but rather directly increased a wife's depression and failed to mediate the impact of a husband's depression on his wife's depression. Conclusion:Our ndings suggest that approaches to helping older adults deal with mental health disorders should proceed not only on an individual but on a couple-level. Also, gender-speci c strategies need to be constructed to enhance the mental well-being of the older population.

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Are older men more vulnerable to depression than women after losing their spouse? Evidence from three German old-age cohorts (AgeDifferent.de platform)

Cited by 33 publications

References 50 publications

Older Men With Living Spouses Versus Men Without Spouses: An Example From the Arab World—Kuwait

Older Men With Living Spouses Versus Men Without Spouses: An Example From the Arab World—Kuwait

The Role of Social Isolation and the Development of Depression. A Comparison of the Widowed and Married Oldest Old in Germany

Gender differences in the longitudinal association between husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms among Korean older adults: the moderating effects of the spousal relationship

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