title: Who needs a friend? Marital status transitions and physical health outcomes in later life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the moderating role of 2 types of confidante relationships in mitigating the negative health impact of transitions involving spousal loss in late life (widowhood and divorce/separation).
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included 707 respondents who participated in the 1992 and 2004 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 2007) all of whom were married at Time 1 and by Time 2 experienced either an end of the marriage resulting from widowhood or divorce/separation or remained continuously married to the same spouse. The majority of the sample was female (n = 457) and 64.3 years old on average. Three indicators of physical health were examined, including somatic depressive symptomatology, self-rated health, and number of sick days in the preceding year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderated regression analyses showed that the availability of a friend as confidante at Time 2 played a significant moderating role in the link between marital transitions and health outcomes, buffering the health impact of widowhood. Specifically, among those who became widowed between the 2 waves, those who had available a friend as confidante at Time 2 reported significantly lower somatic depressive symptoms, better self-rated health, and fewer sick days in bed during the preceding year than those who reported not having a friend as confidante. No support was obtained for the moderating role of having a family member as confidante at Time 2 in the link from marital transitions to health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the need to develop means to maintain and enhance confiding friendships among widowed older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lafayette College.
authors.forename: Jamila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bookwala
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lafayette College.
authors.forename: Kirsten I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University.
authors.forename: Suzanne W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017805:Widowhood / Q000523:psychology; D014922:Wisconsin