Searching for more: Spirituality for older adult couples seeking enhanced relationship quality

Understanding the Interplay of Religion, Social Relationships, and Depressive Symptoms in Later Life: An Analysis of Dynamics in Individual and Dyadic Contexts

This study examined how religious participation at the individual level and the dyadic religious similarity at the couple level influenced depressive symptoms via social relationships among older Korean couples aged 65 and above. The sample included 1,191 couples from the seventh assessment of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The findings indicated that older adults who participated in religious activities more frequently showed lower levels of depressive symptoms through increased social interactions and marital satisfaction. Additionally, older couples with similar religious backgrounds showed higher levels of marital satisfaction than those without similar religious backgrounds, subsequently leading to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Overall, the associations between religion and depressive symptoms were similar for both genders. The findings provided insights into potential mechanisms leading to later-life depressive symptoms at both the individual and couple levels in terms of religion and social relationships and informed practical implications for older couples' marital relationships.

Couple Religiosity and Well-Being Among Older Adults in the United States

Objectives: This article evaluates whether couples' religious similarity is consequential for the health of older married men and women. Alternatively, we examine whether women's religiosity alone is health-protective to their husbands. Methods: Using dyadic data from the US National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a representative sample of 913 individuals ages 62-91 plus their marital partners, we perform latent-class analysis to separate older couples into classes based on religious characteristics. Ordered logistic regression models are then used to assess whether different combinations of religious (dis)similarity are associated with married men and women's well-being. Results: We find that older women in highly religious, homogamous marriages report better mental and physical health relative to women in heterogamous and secular (non-religious) marriages. No significant associations were observed for men. Discussion: Our results emphasize that religiosity is not only an individual trait-dis/similarities within a couple have important implications for older women's well-being.