Marital experiences and depressive symptoms among older adults in rural South Africa.

ABSTRACT: This paper advances the understanding of how marital transitions may influence mental health by investigating these associations among a population of rural, Black South Africans aged 40+ that was directly impacted by apartheid. Using two waves of data from 4,176 men and women in Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI), we investigated associations between marital experiences and depressive symptoms, by gender, and explored whether economic resources is a moderator of these associations. We found that experiencing a marital dissolution was associated with more depressive symptoms than remaining married for both men and women. We also found that men, but not women, report greater depressive symptoms if they remained separated/divorce

SUBMITTER: Jennings EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9581082 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature