Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108and older adults. Townsend et al. (2001) found that husbands’ and wives’ depressive symptoms were moderately correlated, with the symptom level of one spouse explaining approximately one-fourth of the variance in the other spouse’s level. The study also found that net worth was an independent predictor of depressive symptoms after controlling for income and other factors. A study using AHEAD data focused further atten- tion on the possible additional negative effects of childlessness on psychological well-being (Zhang and Hayward 2001). Two dimensions of well-being —loneliness and depression—were considered, and the findings identified prominent gender dif- ferences. Divorced, widowed, and never-married childless men had significantly higher rates of loneliness compared with women in similar cir- cumstances. Divorced and widowed childless men also had significantly higher rates of depression than their female counterparts. Given that men, who are much more likely to be married than women at older ages, generally show lower rates of depression than women, these findings warrant additional analyses to provide insights into the role of family connections in the mental well-being of men and women. Marital Status and Physical Well-Being HRS data have also been used to evaluate the relationship between marital status and major chronic illnesses, functional limitations, and disability. Findings from one study (Pienta et al. 2000) suggest that marriage conveys health advantages across a broad spectrum of chronic disease conditions, functional problems, and disabilities, and that these advantages are widely shared across demographic groups (men and women, Whites and Blacks, and groups defined by duration of marriage). A limitation of this adults age 70 and older. Controlling for pre-loss depressive symptoms, the researchers found that the rate of syndromal depression among people who were newly bereaved was nearly nine times as high, and the rate of depressive symptoms was nearly four times as high, as the rates for married individuals. Some widows and widowers experi- enced high levels of depressive symptoms up to 2 years after the loss of their spouses. Neither demographic variables nor variables concerning the nature of the spouse’s death predicted the level of bereavement-related depression. Another study brought a “couples perspective” to the analysis of depressive symptoms in middle-aged Family Status and Psychological Well-Being Marital status has clear effects on the mental health of older people. A comparison of married and unmarried HRS participants of all ages found that married women were less likely than their unmarried counterparts to report symptoms of depression, and that the mental health benefits of marriage were even greater for men than for women (Earle et al. 1998). Turvey et al. (1999) found a strong association between the loss of a spouse and both syndro- mal depression and depressive symptoms among FIG. 4-2 Living Close relatives, by age of respondent: 2002 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Partner, Parent(s) and Child(ren) Partner and Child(ren) Partner and Parent(s) Child(ren) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Note: Parents include parents-in-law. FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS & INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFERS 76