Living Alone, Social Integration, and Mental Health

Hughes, Michael D.; Gove, Walter R.

doi:10.1086/227419

Cited by 330 publications

(215 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Overall, most find significant relationships between living arrangements and health, although the possibility that the relationships are actually due to the influence of health on living arrangements cannot be ruled out. Hughes and Gove (1981) find that unmarried persons living alone are in no worse mental health than unmarried persons living with others and are in better mental health on some measures. Gove, Hughes, and Galle (1979) find that household crowding diminishes mental and physical health.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…However, a comparative analysis of Sweden and Great Britain found that lone parents were disadvantaged in both countries, despite better social and cultural support for lone parents in Sweden (Whitehead et al 2000). Although other pathways have been proposed, none have been tested (Angel and Angel 1993;Benzeval 1998;Hughes and Gove 1981;Minkler and Fuller-Thomson 1999;Rogers et al 2000).…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health in Household Context: Living Arrangements and Health in Late Middle Age

Hughes

Waite²

2002

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

288

276

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People living in some arrangements show better health than persons in other living arrangements. Recent prospective studies document higher mortality among persons living in particular types of households. We extend this research by examining the influence of household structure on health using longitudinal data. We theorize that individuals experience role-based household relations as sets of resources and demands. In certain household structures, individuals are more likely to perceive that the demands made on them outweigh the resources available to them. This perceived imbalance poses a risk to individual health. We test our expectations by analyzing the relationship between living arrangements and health using data from waves 1 and 2 of the Health and Retirement Study. We focus on persons ages 51-61 and explore gender differences. We find prospective links between household structure and self-rated health, mobility limitation, and depressive symptoms. Married couples living alone or with children only are the most advantaged; single women living with children appear disadvantaged on all health outcomes. Men and women in other household types are disadvantaged on some health outcomes. Our results suggest that the social context formed by the household may be important to the social etiology of health. In addition, they qualify the well-known link between marital status and health: The effect of marital status on health depends on household context.In June 2000 the Human Genome Project completed a preliminary map of human genetic structure. To many observers, this remarkable achievement heralded a new era of gene-based understanding of health and illness. Yet the same week that researchers at the National Institutes of Health presented the genomic sketch, the Institutes held a major conference highlighting evidence that health depends on socially-generated environments and experiences that transcend individual biology. Clearly, deciphering human genetic code is not sufficient for understanding health and illness. Progress on biological substrates of disease needs to go hand in hand with similar progress by social scientists on the social etiology of health and illness.

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Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health in Household Context: Living Arrangements and Health in Late Middle Age

Hughes

Waite²

2002

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

288

276

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…On the other hand, negative types of involvement, such as criticism, have been associated with psychological distress or ignoring the spouses' request for behavior change. 18,[22][23][24][25] In one study, feeling supported by the spouse has been associated with higher CPAP adherence during the subsequent night in patients with more severe OSA. 26 However, the methodology used in the study (daily questionnaires) limited the number of spousal behaviors assessed, and it was not clear what type of supportive behavior was most beneficial.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Spousal Involvement in CPAP: Does Pressure Help?

Baron

Gunn

Czajkowski

et al. 2012

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

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Study Objectives: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves sleep and quality of life for both patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and their spouses. However, few studies have investigated spousal involvement in treatment adherence. Aims of this observational study were to assess perceptions of spousal involvement and evaluate associations between involvement and adherence. Methods: Spousal involvement in CPAP adherence was assessed in 23 married male OSA patients after the fi rst week of treatment. At 3 months, 16 participants completed a second assessment of spousal involvement. Types of involvement assessed included positive (e.g., encouraging), negative (e.g., blaming), collaboration (e.g., working together), and onesided (e.g., asking). An interpersonal measure of supportive behaviors was also administered at 3 months to evaluate the interpersonal qualities of spousal involvement types. Objective CPAP adherence data were available for 14 participants. Results: Average frequency of spousal involvement ratings were low for each involvement type and only negative spousal involvement frequency decreased at 3 month follow-up (p = 0.003). Perceptions of collaborative spousal involvement were associated with higher CPAP adherence at 3 months (r = 0.75, p = 0.002). Positive, negative and one-sided involvement were not associated with adherence. Collaborative spousal involvement was associated with moderately warm and controlling interpersonal behaviors (affi liation, r = 0.55, p = 0.03, dominance r = 0.47, p = 0.07). Conclusions: Patients reported low frequency but consistent and diverse perceptions of spousal involvement in CPAP over the fi rst 3 months of treatment. Perceptions of collaborative spousal involvement were the only type associated with adherence and represent moderately warm and controlling interpersonal behavior. Interventions to increase spousal collaboration in CPAP may improve adherence. keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure, adherence, relationship quality, social support Citation: Baron KG; Gunn HE; Czajkowski LA; Smith TW; Jones CR. Spousal involvement in CPAP: does pressure help?

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“…Several explanations are presented (Ross et al 1990): the mere fact that married people less often live alone is seen as a protective factor against depressive mood; another explanation is that married people provide each other with emotional and financial support. The first explanation is contested by Hughes and Gove (1981), who showed that the difference in wellbeing is much larger between married people and non-married people than the difference between people living alone and people living with other adults. Apparently, the protection against depression provided by marriage cannot solely be explained by the mere presence of a partner.…”

Section: Ties With a Partnermentioning

confidence: 99%