Loneliness and Depression in Middle and Old Age: Are the Childless More Vulnerable?

This study examines the relative circumstances of community-dwelling childless and parents in middle and old age (50-84 years old), using data from the 1988 National Survey of Families and Households, in order to update and test earlier findings of negative consequences related to childlessness in later life. Results indicate that net of other effects, both loneliness and depression are significantly related to childlessness for women but not men. Childless women are 46% more likely to report high depression compared to mothers. Among both men and women, being formerly married is related to greater loneliness and depression. These results demonstrate the greater salience of childlessness for women compared to men. The findings are discussed in the context of the changing norms regarding marriage, divorce, childlessness, and gender roles experienced by the newly emerging cohorts of the middle-aged and elderly

Daughter\u27s Generation: The Importance of Having Daughters Living Nearby for Older Korean Immigrants\u27 Mental Health

With declining adherence to filial piety in East Asian cultures, the closeness of adult daughters rather than sons may become more important for older Asian immigrants’ well-being. With a sample of 177 older Korean immigrants to the United States (age 60+, M = 72, SD = 7.7), we examined how and to what extent having daughters living nearby rather than sons (daughters-in-law) is related to older Asian immigrants’ mental health, moderating the direct relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptoms. The analyses showed physical proximity of daughters rather than sons (daughters-in-law) functioned as a stress buffer by reducing the direct relation between stressful life events and older immigrants’ depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that gendered cultural expectations of adult children’s caregiving roles for older Korean immigrants are changing, implying that companionship and the perceived quality of instrumental and emotional support might take priority over traditional gendered expectations of filial piety

The conditional benefits of parenthood (or childlessness) for subjective well-being in older adulthood

Research in gerontology and the sociology of the family has emphasized the importance of adult offspring for providing social and emotional support in old age. Childless older adults are regarded as potentially disadvantaged, whereas the presence of adult children is used as a marker of social integration and resources among older parents. The simple distinction between parents and childless adults, however, masks a diversity of experiences and attitudes which condition the link between parental status and subjective well-being. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (1988), this dissertation finds no significant differences in loneliness and depression between parents and childless adults, aged 50–84. A more nuanced typology of parental status, based on parent-child relationship quality and attitudes about childlessness, demonstrates a more complex, conditional link between parenthood or childlessness and subjective well-being. For both men and women, poorer quality relationships with adult children are associated with significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression, compared to parents with better relationships or childless adults. Among childless women, those who hold attitudes that conflict with their own childless status (they believe that it is better to have a child than to remain childless) report higher levels of loneliness and depression compared to the childless women with congruent attitudes or mothers. Qualitative analyses of life histories and in-depth interviews with older adults illuminate the diversity of experiences among the childless and parents. The reasons and attitudes underlying the childless status, as well as re-assessments throughout the life course, define the meanings, salience, and consequences of childlessness for older men and women. Negative assessments of childlessness are linked with persistent pro-natalist attitudes as well as re-appraisals of childlessness in the face of social losses, health declines, or economic constraints. Childless adults who express high levels of satisfaction and well-being describe their childlessness as chosen and consistently preferred or as a benign and accepted aspect of their lives. The discussion highlights the interconnection between structural and normative contexts and individual, cognitive lenses in shaping the evaluation of subjective well-being in older adulthood

The conditional benefits of parenthood (or childlessness) for subjective well-being in older adulthood

Research in gerontology and the sociology of the family has emphasized the importance of adult offspring for providing social and emotional support in old age. Childless older adults are regarded as potentially disadvantaged, whereas the presence of adult children is used as a marker of social integration and resources among older parents. The simple distinction between parents and childless adults, however, masks a diversity of experiences and attitudes which condition the link between parental status and subjective well-being. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (1988), this dissertation finds no significant differences in loneliness and depression between parents and childless adults, aged 50–84. A more nuanced typology of parental status, based on parent-child relationship quality and attitudes about childlessness, demonstrates a more complex, conditional link between parenthood or childlessness and subjective well-being. For both men and women, poorer quality relationships with adult children are associated with significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression, compared to parents with better relationships or childless adults. Among childless women, those who hold attitudes that conflict with their own childless status (they believe that it is better to have a child than to remain childless) report higher levels of loneliness and depression compared to the childless women with congruent attitudes or mothers. Qualitative analyses of life histories and in-depth interviews with older adults illuminate the diversity of experiences among the childless and parents. The reasons and attitudes underlying the childless status, as well as re-assessments throughout the life course, define the meanings, salience, and consequences of childlessness for older men and women. Negative assessments of childlessness are linked with persistent pro-natalist attitudes as well as re-appraisals of childlessness in the face of social losses, health declines, or economic constraints. Childless adults who express high levels of satisfaction and well-being describe their childlessness as chosen and consistently preferred or as a benign and accepted aspect of their lives. The discussion highlights the interconnection between structural and normative contexts and individual, cognitive lenses in shaping the evaluation of subjective well-being in older adulthood

Through the Lenses of Gender, Race, and Class: Students’ Perceptions of Childless/Childfree Individuals and Couples

Earlier research has documented negative perceptions of childless couples, particularly the voluntarily childfree, among college students. In this project we used hypothetical vignettes to assess variations in students’ (N = 478) perceptions of childless couples related to the couple’s race, occupations of husband and wife, and assumed reasons for childlessness. Perceptions were strongly influenced by occupational status and gender, but we found few race differences. Neither infertility nor chosen childlessness was rated negatively, but couples were rated more positively if they were perceived as temporarily rather than permanently childless. Our findings suggest that delayed parenthood is regarded as normative and that students have few negative biases regarding infertility or chosen childlessness. Perceptions were strongly conditioned by economic and employment considerations, which reflect current concerns about balancing work and family trajectories

Are Physicians and Patients in Agreement? Exploring Dyadic Concordance

Dyadic concordance in physician-patient interactions can be defined as the extent of agreement between physicians and patients in their perceptions of the clinical encounter. The current research specifically examined two types of concordance: informational concordance-the extent of agreement in physician and patient responses regarding patient information (education, self-rated health, pain); and interactional concordance-the extent of physician-patient agreement regarding the patient\u27s level of confidence and trust in the physician and the perceived quality of explanations concerning diagnosis and treatment. Using a convenience sample of physicians and patients (N = 50 dyads), a paired survey method was tested, which measured and compared physician and patient reports to identify informational and interactional concordances. Factors potentially related to dyadic concordance were also measured, including demographic characteristics (patient race, gender, age, and education) and clinical factors (whether this was a first visit and physician specialty in family medicine or oncology). The paired survey showed informational discordances, as physicians tended to underestimate patients\u27 pain and overestimate patient education. Interactional discordances included overestimating patients\u27 understanding of diagnosis and treatment explanations and patients\u27 level of confidence and trust. Discordances were linked to patient dissatisfaction with physician listening, having unanswered questions, and feeling the physician had not spent enough time. The paired survey method effectively identified physician-patient discordances that may interfere with effective medical practice; this method may be used in various settings to identify potential areas of improvement in health communication and education. © 2013 Society for Public Health Education