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Title: A national portrait of the well-being of remarried and previously married cohabiting older adults
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2024
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Abstract: Mounting evidence signals that cohabitation operates as an alternative to remarriage inlater life. However, others have maintained that cohabitation is an incomplete institution marked byless favorable outcomes than remarriage. We appraise these two frameworks by examining thewell-being of remarried and previously married cohabiting older adults. Drawing on the 2010–2020 Health and Retirement Study, we assessed whether remarriedand previously married cohabiting older adults differed in their depressive symptoms and loneliness.We also tested whether the association between relationship quality and well-being varied by uniontype. Among women, cohabitors reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than their remar-ried counterparts. In contrast, union type was not appreciably associated with men’s depressive symp-toms. Meanwhile, among men, cohabitors reported less loneliness, on average, than did those inremarriages. No corresponding union-type differential emerged among women. Additionally, the association between relationship quality and psychological well-being did not differ by union type for both men and women.
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Authors: Julian, Christopher; Brown, Susan
Periodical (Full): Aging & Mental Health
Issue: 12
Volume: 28
Pages: 1-12
Data Collections: IPUMS CPS
Topics: Family and Marriage, Gender, Health
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