Marital quality and loneliness among aging Vietnam-era combat veterans: The moderating role of PTSD symptom severity
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Marini, C. M., Yorgason, J. B., Pless Kaiser, A., & Erickson, L. D. (2023). Marital quality and loneliness among aging Vietnam-era combat veterans: The moderating role of PTSD symptom severity. Clinical Gerontologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2023.2274052
Abstract Created by REACH:
Using a sample of 269 Vietnam-era Veterans, this study examined whether marital quality at baseline (assessed by multiple indicators, such as companionship, sociability, and tension) was associated with reports of loneliness 6 years later. Marital companionship involves levels of affection, marital sociability involves connecting with friends together, and marital tension involves levels of disagreement. This study also tested whether these associations were different depending on the severity of Veterans’ posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Some indicators of marital quality, namely companionship and sociability, were associated with less loneliness over time, but these associations must be considered within the context of Veterans’ PTSD symptomatology.
Focus:
Veterans
Mental health
Couples
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Subject Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Aged (65 yrs & older)
Methodology:
Longitudinal Study
Authors:
Marini, Christina M., Yorgason, Jeremy B., Pless Kaiser, Anica, Erickson, Lance D.
Abstract:
Objectives We examined links between marital quality and loneliness among aging veterans and explored whether veterans’ PTSD symptom severity moderated these associations. Methods Data came from 269 Vietnam-Era combat veterans who had a spouse/partner (M age = 60.50). Utilizing two waves of data spanning six years, we estimated multiple regression models that included positive and negative marital quality, PTSD symptom severity, and loneliness in 2010 as predictors of loneliness in 2016. Results Facets of positive (but not negative) marital quality were associated with veterans’ loneliness. Companionship – spousal affection and understanding – was associated with lower subsequent loneliness among veterans with low/moderate – but not high – PTSD symptom severity. Conversely, sociability – the degree to which one’s marriage promotes socializing with others – was associated with lower subsequent loneliness regardless of PTSD symptom severity. Conclusions Companionship and sociability were each associated with veterans’ subsequent loneliness. Whereas benefits of companionship were attenuated at higher levels of PTSD symptom severity, benefits of sociability were not.
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Keywords:
Loneliness, marital quality, PTSD, veteran
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
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