Exploring the Relationship between Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being in Older Couples: Longitudinal and Dyadic Perspectives

Milena Chelchowska , SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Loneliness profoundly impacts the subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults. While being in a partnership generally protects against loneliness, it remains a significant concern. Marital experience over the life course may have differential influences on partners’ mental and physical health outcomes over time. The quality of these partnerships plays a pivotal role in marital loneliness, and continuous negativity can lead to emotional disengagement and later loneliness. Furthermore, changes in social contexts during later life underscore the importance of marital relationships for subjective well-being. As partners may differ in terms of loneliness/SWB such differences should be included in the analyses on SWB determinants. Also, the relationship between loneliness and SWB in a couple may be influenced by features/situations that are common to this couple, therefore understanding these interdependencies necessitates advanced analytical tools. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and Dyadic Response Surface Analysis (DRSA), this study examines the impact of loneliness on later levels and the development of subjective well-being over 4 years among older European couples. Data from the 'Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement' (SHARE) on 7,068 couples aged 65+ are analyzed. Preliminary findings reveal that there is an increase in SWB over time for both men and women. Loneliness predicts lower initial subjective well-being and steeper declines over time, affecting both partners. High interdependence of SWB among couple members are visible. Gender differences emerge, showing that women's subjective well-being is particularly influenced by their partner's emotional state.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo