Couple processes of family economic hardship, depressive symptoms, and later-life subjective memory impairment: moderating role of relationship quality

Abstract

Objectives

To examine a) processes through which family economic hardship (FEH) contributes to spouses’ mental health and subsequent subjective memory impairment (SMI) in later years and b) the moderating effect of overall relationship quality on these associations.

Methods

With prospective data over 27 years from a sample of 224 husbands and wives in enduring marriages, the present study utilized latent growth curves to identify how FEH trajectories are associated with both spouses’ depressive symptoms trajectories across their mid-later years (average age 40-65 years) and subsequent SMI in later life (> 67 years). The moderating role of relationship quality between depressive symptoms and SMI was also examined.

Results

FEH experiences across the mid-later years (1991–2015) explained variation in husbands’ and wives’ depressive symptoms trajectories (1994–2015). Change in depressive symptoms was associated with husbands’ and wives’ SMI in later life (2017) after taking the level of depressive symptoms into account. Spousal dependencies, including partner effects, existed among husbands’ and wives’ depressive symptoms trajectories and SMI outcomes. Some of these dependencies were moderated by couples’ overall relationship quality.

Conclusion

FEH has a persistent influence on husbands’ and wives’ SMI in later years. Depressive symptoms mediated the influence of FEH on later wellbeing. The findings are discussed as they relate to family systems and life course stress process theories. Implications are addressed at multiple levels including national- and state-policies and clinical interventions.

Keywords:

• Depression
• marriage
• mental health
• midlife
• financial stress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research is currently supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (AG043599, Kandauda A. S. Wickrama, PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies. Support for earlier years of the study also came from multiple sources, including the National Institute of Mental Health (MH00567, MH19734, MH43270, MH59355, MH62989, MH48165, MH051361), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA05347), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD027724, HD051746, HD047573, HD064687), the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health (MCJ-109572), and the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Adolescent Development Among Youth in High-Risk Settings.