Today's older couples often look and function differently than those of yesteryear. Lifespans have increased, while many health challenges remain. Retirement, spousal role equity, and family caregiving needs look different now, and cultural shifts have shaped the prevalence and visibility of non-traditional older relationships, such as same-sex relationships and ""living apart-together"" relationships. With such an increased variety in relationship forms and social contexts, what does the research say about quality? What factors influence the nature and quality of today's older couple relationships, and what are the complex links between relationships and health? In this cutting-edge book, the authors present the latest theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives in the field of middle-age and older couple relationships. The chapters cover a broad range of topics, including the impact of health concerns, loneliness, chronic disease management, couple negotiation of everyday tasks, and coping across the lifespan. Implications for couples therapy and policy are included. In short, the book makes a significant stride into understanding the strengths and challenges of older couples.
Contributors. Introduction: Current Perspectives on Couple Relationships in the Middle and Later Years Jamila Bookwala. I. Nature and Quality of Older Couple Relationships 1. Happily Ever After? Marital Satisfaction During the Middle Adulthood Years Barbara A. Mitchell. 2. Marital Discord in the Later Years Timothy W. Smith and Carolynne E. Baron. 3. Older Couple Relationships and Loneliness Jenny De Jong Gierveld and Marjolein Broese van Groenou. 4. Intimacy and Obligations in LAT Relationships in Late Life Sofie Ghazanfareeon Karlsson and Majen Espvall. 5. Same-Sex Relationships in Middle and Late Adulthood Bozena Zdaniuk and Christine Smith. 6. Sexual Intimacy in Mid- and Late-Life Couples Amy C. Lodge and Debra Umberson. 7. Spousal Role Allocation and Equity in Older Couples Liat Kulik. 8. These Happy Golden Years? The Role of Retirement in Marital Quality Amy Rauer and Jakob F. Jensen. 9. Health Contributions to Marital Quality: Expected and Unexpected Links Jeremy B. Yorgason and Heejeong Choi. II. Marriage, Health, and Adaptation to Illness in Middle and Late Life 1. Marital Biography and Health in Middle and Late Life Zhenmei Zhang, Hui Liu, and Yan-Liang Yu. 2. Collaborative Cognition in Middle and Late Life: Couple Negotiation of Everyday Tasks Jennifer A. Margrett and Celinda Reese-Melancon. 3. Spousal Interrelationships in Health Across Adulthood: Health Behaviors and Everyday Stress as Potential Underlying Mechanisms Christiane A. Hoppmann, Victoria Michalowski, and Denis Gerstorf. 4. A Developmental Perspective to Dyadic Coping Across Adulthood Cynthia A. Berg, Kelsey K. Sewell, Amy E. Hughes Lansing, Stephanie J. Wilson, and Carrie Brewer. 5. Emotion Regulation in the Context of Spousal Caregiving: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Strategies Joan K. Monin. 6. Chronic Disease Management in Older Couples: Spousal Support Versus Control Strategies Melissa M. Franks, Elizabeth Wehrspann, Kristin J. August, Karen S. Rook, and Mary Ann Parris Stephens. 7. Harnessing the Power of the Marital Relationship to Improve Illness Management: Considerations for Couple-Based Interventions Lynn M. Martire, Rachel C. Hemphill, and Courtney A. Polenick. Index. About the Editor.
