title: Affect and well-being similarity among older Indian spouses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous work suggests that husbands and wives are likely to share affective states so that depression or happiness in one spouse is predictive of depression or happiness in the other. Studies that have examined spousal affect similarity, however, have been concentrated in the Western world where the meaning of marriage may be different than it is in other cultural contexts. Marriage in India, unlike that in the United States, is focused on the extended family so that love and intimacy between spouses are downplayed. This study examined affect and well-being similarity between 603 older married couples in India using pilot data from the Longitudinal Aging Study of India.
  
  
  METHODS
  We ran linear regression models to assess the relationship between the well-being states of husbands and wives using dyadic observations for four different measures: depressive symptoms, dissatisfaction with daily life, social isolation, and overall life satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across all four measures, the well-being scores of one spouse were positively and significantly associated with the well-being scores of the other. These associations did not vary by marital satisfaction, but were slightly stronger for respondents reporting poor health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our increased understanding of social connectedness has prompted a shift from the consideration of single individuals to a broader understanding of individuals in the context of their social environments. The results of this study suggest that interventions designed to foster well-being among older adults in India might benefit from a focus on couples as a unit rather than individuals.
authors.affiliation: a Global Public Health, School of Medicine , University of California San Diego , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Holly B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Shakya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cultural aspects – psychosocial and cultural aspects; depression – mood disorders, anxiety and trauma-related disorders; quality of life/well-being – psychosocial and cultural aspects; social support – psychosocial and cultural aspects