By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Physical and Emotional Health of Older Married Couples Tied Cloesly Together
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Wellness > Home Health > Physical and Emotional Health of Older Married Couples Tied Cloesly Together
Home HealthPublic Health

Physical and Emotional Health of Older Married Couples Tied Cloesly Together

Anthony Cirillo
Anthony Cirillo
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

A study of older married couples in the American Psychological Association’s journal Health Psychology, finds strong associations between their physical and emotional health.

A study of older married couples in the American Psychological Association’s journal Health Psychology, finds strong associations between their physical and emotional health. Spouses have a much greater impact on their partner’s health than previously known.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Pennsylvania State University tracked the emotional and physical histories of more than 1,700 older couples over a 15-year period. Participants ranged in age from 76 to 90 and many had been married for more than 40 years.
Researchers found a strong relationship between “depressive symptoms” (unhappiness, loneliness and restlessness) and “functional limitations” – the physical inability to perform such basic tasks as climbing stairs, picking up objects, cooking and shopping. Spouses’ depressive symptoms were closely associated with those of their partners. Functional limitations in one spouse was not only associated with their own depressive symptoms but also with depressive symptoms in the other spouse. Increases in depressive symptoms in one spouse were also associated with greater functional limitations in both spouses.
Researchers noted that these findings show just how interdependent, emotionally and physically, long-term couples can become and suggest a greater need for holistic healthcare approaches. In other words treat the couple not just the individual.

Researchers are not sure if this mimicking behavior is specific to long-term married couples and whether this would happen with Baby Boomers with more diverse relationship histories, including divorces and remarriages.

You read of stories where one spouse dies and the other spouse dies shortly after. You come to find these were often long marriages where neither was apart from the other very long. So maybe The Wedding Song is right where one line reads “Oh, a man shall leave his mother, and a woman leave her home. They will travel on to where the two will be as one.”
Perhaps we really become one in more ways than we know.

TAGGED:geriatricshome health
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

preventable readmissions to hospitals
BusinessHospital AdministrationPublic Health

The “7 Deadly Sins” That Lead to Preventable Readmissions

September 25, 2014
against corporate wellness
BusinessPolicy & LawPublic HealthWellness

Why I’m Against Wellness

May 13, 2014
Ebola Education, Hospital Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Healthcare Communication
BusinessGlobal HealthcareHospital AdministrationNewsPublic Health

Hospital Marketing and Ebola: Communication and Education Needed

October 30, 2014

FDA Accepts NDA for VIVUS’ Qnexa

November 4, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?