Marital Satisfaction and Mental Health in Adults Over 40 Years Old. Associations with Self-Perceptions of Aging and Stress Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Being married has been associated with a better attitude to aging and a buffer against stressful situations, factors that influence mental health. The study analyzes the role of self-perceptions of aging and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the association between marital satisfaction and participants' mental health. 246 people older than 40 years in a marital/partner relationship were assessed. A path analysis was tested, where self-perceptions of aging and stress from the COVID-19 situation were proposed as mechanisms of action in the association between marital satisfaction and anxious and depressive symptoms. Marital satisfaction, self-perceptions of aging, and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to the model and explained 31% of the variance in participants´ anxious symptomatology, and 42% of the variance in depressive symptomatology. The indirect path of self-perceptions of aging and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the link between marital satisfaction and anxious and depressive symptoms was statistically significant for both outcome variables. The findings of this study suggest that lower perceived marital satisfaction is associated with higher levels of negative self-perceptions of aging and with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Public significance statements: This study suggests that higher marital satisfaction may be a buffer for negative self-perception of aging, and both factors are related with experiencing less stress from COVID-19. These links are associated with less anxious and depressive symptoms.

Validation Study of the Spanish Version of the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire for Older Persons

Interpersonal relationship quality is relevant for older adults′ well-being and mental health. Studies focused on methods to evaluate marital satisfaction in older adults and the relationship of this variable with psychological correlates are scarce. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish version (Castro-Díaz et al., 2012) of the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire For Older Persons (MSQFOP;Haynes et al., 1992) in a sample of middle-aged and older adults from Spain. Participants were 130 individuals (60.8% women) 40 years or older (M= 60.31, SD=11) involved in a marital/partner relationship. The assessed variables were marital satisfaction (MSQFOP), marital warmth, positive emotions, frequency of arguments, perceived stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. The results from the exploratory factor analysis yielded a three factor structure (compatibility, communication, and sex) explaining 77.8% of the variance. Even though the factor structure was the same as that of the original version, some items loaded on other factors. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.97. The results revealed significant (p < .001) positive associations between marital satisfaction, marital warmth, and positive emotions. In addition, significant negative associations were found between marital satisfaction and frequency of arguments, stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and anxious and depressive symptomatology (p < .05). The findings suggest that Spanish version MSQFOP has good psychometric properties that recommend its use with middle-aged and older adults. Marital satisfaction seems to be a relevant construct for understanding stress, well-being, and mental health in middle-aged and older adults.

Caring for Relatives with Dementia in Times of COVID-19: Impact on Caregivers and Care-recipients.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze caregivers' perceived impact of the pandemic in their mental health and the well-being of the care-recipients. METHODS: Caregivers (N = 88) were asked if they had COVID-19 and about their perceptions of change of care-recipients' health conditions as well as whether their own mental health, conflicts with care-recipients and other relatives, thoughts of giving up caregiving, and feelings of coping well with the situation. RESULTS: A large percentage of caregivers perceived a worsening of care-recipients' symptoms and of their own negative emotions, an increase in the number of conflicts and thoughts of needing to give up caregiving. Having had COVID-19 and reporting higher levels of distress as well as giving up caregiving were related to perceived worsening in care-recipients well-being. Perceived increases were mainly reported by younger caregivers, those who perceived to have not coped well, and those reporting an increase in conflicts. Some caregivers perceived an increase in positive emotions. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has a negative impact on caregivers' perceptions about the course of their own emotions and care-recipients' well-being. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Interventions are needed to train caregivers in strategies to cope with the sources of stress caused by the pandemic and to promote social support.

[Differences in anxiety, sadness, loneliness and comorbid anxiety and sadness as a function of age and self-perceptions of aging during the lock-out period due to COVID-19]. / Diferencias en función de la edad y la autopercepción del envejecimiento en ansiedad, tristeza, soledad y sintomatología comórbida ansioso-depresiva durante el confinamiento por la COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze differences by age group in anxiety, depression, loneliness and comorbid anxiety and depression in young people, middle aged adults and older adults during the lock-down period at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore the association between negative self-perceptions of aging and psychological symptoms controlling by age group. METHOD: Participants are 1501 people (age range 18 to 88 years). Anxiety, sadness, loneliness and self-perceptions of aging were assessed. The sample was divided according to the age group and quartiles (lower, intermediate levels, and higher) of anxiety, sadness, loneliness and self-perceptions of aging. RESULTS: Older adults reported lower levels of anxiety and sadness than middle aged adults, and middle aged adults reported lower levels than younger participants. Middle aged adults reported the lowest loneliness, followed by older adults and younger participants. For each age group, those with more negative self-perceptions of aging reported higher anxiety, sadness and loneliness. More comorbid anxiety and sadness was found in younger adults and less in older adults; more depressed participants in the middle aged group, and more older adults and less younger participants were found in the group with the lowest levels of anxiety and sadness. For all the age groups, participants with high levels of comorbid anxiety and sadness are those who report the highest scores in negative self-perceptions of aging. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults reported lower psychological anxiety, sadness and loneliness than the other age groups. Having negative self-perceptions of aging damage psychological health irrespective of the chronological age.

"We Are Staying at Home." Association of Self-perceptions of Aging, Personal and Family Resources, and Loneliness With Psychological Distress During the Lock-Down Period of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Families are going through a very stressful time because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with age being a risk factor for this illness. Negative self-perceptions of aging, among other personal and relational variables, may be associated with loneliness and distress caused by the pandemic crisis. METHOD: Participants are 1,310 Spanish people (age range: 18-88 years) during a lock-down period at home. In addition to specific questions about risk for COVID-19, self-perceptions of aging, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were done for assessing the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress. RESULTS: The measured variables allow for an explanation of 48% and 33% of the variance of distress and loneliness, respectively. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, more contact with relatives different to those that co-reside, fewer positive emotions, less perceived self-efficacy, lower quality of sleep, higher expressed emotion, and higher loneliness were associated with higher distress. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, lower contact with relatives, higher self-perception as a burden, fewer positive emotions, lower resources for entertaining oneself, lower quality of sleep, and higher expressed emotion were associated with higher loneliness. DISCUSSION: Having negative self-perceptions of aging and lower chronological age, together with other measured family and personal resources, are associated with loneliness and psychological distress. Older adults with positive self-perceptions of aging seem to be more resilient during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Longitudinal Correlates of Loneliness and Psychological Distress During the Lockdown Situation due to COVID-19. Effects of Age and Self-Perceptions of Aging.

OBJECTIVES: To longitudinally analyze the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress in people exposed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown, exploring the effects of age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). METHODS: A longitudinal follow-up of 1,549 participants was carried out at four different time points during the lockdown in Spain. Questions about the risk of COVID-19, age, SPA, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. RESULTS: Changes in loneliness showed a linear longitudinal trajectory through time, but changes in psychological distress showed a U-shaped relationship with time. Age was a relevant predictor of differences in distress, with older people reporting less psychological distress. Change in both dependent variables was related to change in different predictors like family and personal variables and also to negative SPA. DISCUSSION: In a stressful situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults may be more resilient to adverse mental health outcomes by using more adaptive resources that strengthen their resilience. Support is provided for the importance of stereotyped views of the aging process that, independently of chronological age, may put people at risk of suffering adverse mental health outcomes such as loneliness and psychological distress in times of crisis.