Chronic disease in elderly couples: are women more responsive to their spouses' health condition than men?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study is to increase knowledge regarding associations between couples' health condition and psychological distress in both spouses considering gender as well as patient/spouse status.


METHODS
We examined a community-based sample of 995 elderly couples in which either both spouses were healthy, one of them suffered from chronic disease or both spouses were ill. Both spouses filled out the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.


RESULTS
In line with our hypotheses, the results showed an association between women's psychological distress and their own as well as their spouse's health condition, whereas men's psychological distress was associated only with their own health condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings demonstrate the need for awareness of gender and patient/spouse differences in psychological distress among elderly couples confronted with chronic disease.
Hagedoorn
M
M
Northern Centre for Healthcare Research, Department of Public Health and Health Psychology, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. m.hagedoorn@med.rug.nl
Sanderman
R
R
Ranchor
A V
AV
Brilman
E I
EI
Kempen
G I
GI
Ormel
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors