Enhancing Sleep Quality in Older Adults: The Role of Marital Health and Psychological Resilience
The connection between marital dynamics and sleep patterns in older adults reveals compelling insights, especially in the Chinese context. Poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction significantly impact sleep quality and duration, pointing to the broader implications of interpersonal relationships on health. Conversely, psychological resilience appears to buffer these negative impacts, underscoring its protective role in maintaining sleep quality despite marital stress.
Expanding on these findings, the research suggests that interventions aimed at fostering psychological resilience could mitigate the adverse effects of marital dissatisfaction and spousal health issues on sleep. This insight opens up new avenues for holistic approaches to enhance the well-being of older adults, emphasizing the integration of mental health support in managing physical health outcomes.
By highlighting the interplay between psychological well-being and physical health, the study advocates for comprehensive health strategies that encompass emotional and relational dimensions. This holistic approach could significantly improve life quality for the elderly, particularly in managing sleep-related issues, which are crucial for overall health.
Article Information
Spousal health, marital satisfaction, and older Chinese adults' sleep: The moderating role of psychological resilience
Published in Arch Gerontol Geriatr. Dan Zhang et al.
Abstract
Purposes: This study aims to examine the moderating role of psychological resilience in the association between two common marital relationship stressors (poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction) and sleep (sleep quality and sleep duration) among older adults in China.
Methods: This study used four waves of data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008-2018) (N = 8769), and mixed-effects logistic models were used.
Results: Poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction were independently associated with increased odds of poor sleep quality and short sleep duration, and decreased odds of long sleep duration. Greater psychological resilience was associated with increased odds of good sleep quality and decreased odds of short sleep duration, but had no significant effect on long sleep duration. In addition, psychological resilience moderated the odds of poor spousal health and low marital satisfaction on the risk of short sleep duration among older Chinese adults.
Conclusion: The findings provide novel evidence for the increased importance of marital stress and psychological resilience on sleep health in later life. Policy interventions are needed to support vulnerable older adults who experience poor spousal health and/or low marital satisfaction.
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