SPOUSES’ HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION IN THE CAREGIVER HEALTH EFFECTS STUDY

Within spousal caregiving dyads, both partners’ health and relationship satisfaction are inextricably linked. Drawing from interdependence theory, we tested the hypothesis that each spouse’s health relates to their own and their partner’s relationship satisfaction. Two hundred thirty three spousal dyads in the Caregiver Health Effects Study (CHES), ancillary to the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), reported relationship satisfaction at CHES baseline. Depressive symptoms, activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and self-reported health were obtained at the corresponding CHS wave. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model we found that for both partners, greater depressive symptoms and lower self-reported health related to lower relationship satisfaction (actor effects). Caregivers’ greater IADL needs were associated with lower relationship satisfaction (actor effect). When care recipients’ depressive symptoms were high, caregivers had lower relationship satisfaction (partner effect). For both partners, having a spouse with greater ADL needs was associated with lower relationship satisfaction.