Spouses of Older Adults With Late-Life Drinking Problems: Health, Family, and Social Functioning

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: This study focuses on the health, family, and social functioning of spouses of late-life remitted and continuing problem drinkers, and on predictors of spouses' alcohol-related functioning and depressive symptoms. Method: Three groups of spouses were compared at baseline and a 10-year follow-up: (a) spouses (n = 73) of older adults who had no drinking problems at baseline or followup, (b) spouses (n = 25) of older adults who had drinking problems at baseline but not follow-up, and (c) spouses (n = 69) of older adults who had drinking problems at both baseline and follow-up. At each contact point, spouses completed an inventory that assessed their alcohol-related, health, family, and social functioning. Results: At baseline, compared with spouses of problem-free individuals, spouses of older adults whose drinking problems later remitted reported more alcohol consumption, poorer health, more depressive symptoms, and less involvement in domestic tasks and social and religious activities. At the 10-year followup, spouses of remitted problem drinkers were comparable to spouses of problem-free individuals, but spouses of continuing problem drinkers consumed more alcohol, incurred more alcohol-related consequences, and had friends who approved more of drinking. Overall, spouses whose friends approved more of drinking and whose partners consumed more alcohol and had drinking problems were likely to consume more alcohol and to have drinking problems themselves. Conclusions: Spouses of older adults whose late-life drinking problems remit can attain normal functioning; however, spouses of older adults with continuing late-life drinking problems experience some ongoing defi cits. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 71, 506-514, 2010)

Anxiety and depression in spouses of males diagnosed with alcohol dependence: a comparative study

“…They found similar results, with spouses of those with alcohol dependence having higher rates of depression, psychiatric morbidity and stress along with lower scores on physical and psychological well-being [3]. Moos et al conducted a study on older adults but found similar results, that is, spouses of those men who continued drinking had greater depression and poorer overall health when compared with spouses of men who never drank as well as those men who had stopped drinking several years back [10]. While the population of this study was different from ours, the results are still significant as this was a longitudinal study.…”

Life stressors and resources and the 23-year course of depression

“…Good reliability, stability, and convergent and predictive validity has been established for the HDL in this long-term study of depression (Holahan et al, 1999;Moos et al, 1998aMoos et al, , 1998b as well as in other long-term, naturalistic studies, such as those of health in middle and older age Moos et al, 2010;Moos et al, 2011) and individuals initially untreated for substance use disorders (Moos & Moos, 2002, 2005Timko et al, 2006Timko et al, , 2011.…”

Relationships with parents and adult children's substance use

“…Alternatively, adult children’s strain with parents may relate to parents’ own substance use. For example, strain may be in response to a parents’ problematic health behavior, and in turn may promote a reduction of this behavior in adult children (Glass, Prigerson, Kasl, & de Leon, 1995; Moos, Brennan, Schutte, & Moos, 2010). Strain with parents may inadvertently reduce children’s substance use if the parent and child performed the behavior together; strain may lower the chance of unhealthy contagion (Christakis & Fowler, 2013).…”