Marital Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults Living with Health Difficulties

Sep 29, 2026

Everyday activity difficulties in older adults are strongly associated with reduced psychological well-being and increased depressive symptoms. Marital relationships in later life are shaped by spouses’ experiences of loss and long-term cohabitation, with both partners’ functional and emotional health influencing individual well-being. Using 2022 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data, the study analyzes 3,820 married older adults and applies PROCESS Macro Model 1 to test how marital satisfaction moderates spouse-health effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Study focus

Everyday activity difficulties and well-being

Role of spouses’ functional and emotional health

Method and analysis

Data source and sample

PROCESS Macro Model 1

Findings and implications

Marital satisfaction as a moderator

Protective role under functional difficulties

Recommendations for understanding later-life marriage

978 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3303 MARITAL SATISFACTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN OLDER ADULTS LIVING WITH HEALTH DIFFICULTIES Hyunjoo An1, Minju Seong1, Inhye Jung1, Miseon Kang2, and Hyo Jung Lee1, 1. Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2. Symbiotic Life-TECH Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea Difficulties in performing everyday activities, commonly faced by older individuals, are closely linked to a lower level of psychological well-being, often being observed as an increased number of depressive symptoms. Marital relationships in later life have a significance due to various experiences of loss and long-term togetherness. The health of both spouses, including functional and emotional aspects, plays a critical role in shaping their own psychological well-being. This study explores the effect of spouse’s health on older individual’s psychological well-being, considering the moderating role of marital satisfaction. Using data from the 2022 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we identified 3,820 older adults who were married, with information on spouse’s functional and emotional health. PROCESS Macro Model 1 was employed for the analysis. Compared to both spouses without functional health difficulties, marital satisfaction moderated the effect of a spouse’s psychological well-being on the individual’s psychological well-being when either spouse experienced such difficulties. Particularly when marital satisfaction was high, it served as a protective factor in this association. These findings indicate that older adults’ psychological well-being is affected by his or her spouse’s health status, especially when facing functional health difficulties. In addition, their positive spousal relationship satisfaction functions as a moderator to buffer this negative effect. These results contribute to an urgent need for better understanding the experiences of older individuals within marriage considering difficulties in health experienced by Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 979 their spouses. It also suggests that a high level of satisfaction for their own marital relationship can improve older individuals’psychological well-being.

FAQs

How are health difficulties and psychological well-being connected in older adults?

Health-related difficulties in performing everyday activities are closely linked to lower psychological well-being and higher depressive symptoms.

What moderating role does marital satisfaction play?

Marital satisfaction moderates how a spouse’s psychological well-being affects the older adult’s psychological well-being, especially when either spouse has functional health difficulties.

What do the findings suggest about protective factors in marriage?

When marital satisfaction is high, it acts as a protective factor that buffers the negative association between spouse health difficulties and the older adult’s psychological well-being.

Sep 29, 2026

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