Loneliness and Depression in Middle and Old Age: Are the Childless More Vulnerable?

Objectives. This study tests whether childlessness is significantly related to greater loneliness or depression among older adults, both alone and in conjunction with marital status. Methods. Using data from the 1988 National Survey of Families and Households, the relative circumstances of community...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Psychological sciences and social sciences, 1998-11, Vol.53B (6), p.S303-S312
Main Author: Koropeckyj-Cox, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Demography
Depression - psychology
Divorce - psychology
Family Characteristics
Female
Health Status
Humans
Loneliness - psychology
Male
Marital Status
Mental depression
Middle age
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Older people
Parents - psychology
Sex Factors
Single Person - psychology
Socioeconomic Factors
Widowhood - psychology
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Summary:Objectives. This study tests whether childlessness is significantly related to greater loneliness or depression among older adults, both alone and in conjunction with marital status. Methods. Using data from the 1988 National Survey of Families and Households, the relative circumstances of community-dwelling, permanently childless adults and biological parents (with at least one surviving child), 50–84 years old, are compared. Multivariate models are used to test the effects of parental status and combined maritalparental statuses on loneliness and depression, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results. Results of multivariate analyses show no significant, direct effect of childlessness, though a marginally significant effect appears for women. However, small but significant differences are observed within a typology combining marital and parental statuses. Widowed men and women report higher levels of loneliness and depression than married parents regardless of parental status. Divorced parents are also significantly more vulnerable. The subjective well-being of never married, childless men and women is indistinguishable from that of their married peers. Discussion. The results confirm earlier studies, indicating that childlessness is not necessarily linked with diminished subjective well-being among older adults. However, marital status represents an important context within which to understand and evaluate the experience of parental status.
ISSN:1079-5014
1758-5368
DOI:10.1093/geronb/53B.6.S303