Disability and Depression among Older Married Couples: Are There Gender Differences?

Michelle L. Rogers, Brown University

In this paper, I examine whether there are gender differences in the effects of disability on depression for older married couples in the United States, paying particular attention to the way in which one spouse's disability affects the other spouse, and what effect, if any, there is of change in each spouse's disability over time. Specifically, I assess the gender-specific responses to three different dimensions of disability (medical conditions, functional limitations, and participation restriction) for each spouse and examine how changes in disability over time affect changes in both spouses' depression. Findings indicate that changes in each aspect of disability differentially affect changes in each spouse's depression. Husbands are affected by both their own and their wife's health declines, whereas wives are only affected by their own health declines. These findings highlight the importance of examining the married couple as a unit when dealing with disability and its associated consequences.