Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

aging, confidants, marriage, older couples, retirement

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

As closely interactive cohorts throughout their adult lives, husbands and wives have been seen to become even closer confidants and partners in older age.  These changes may predominate after retirement and the loss of daily work practices and professional systems.  Older couples have frequently shared a considerable quantity of time with one another, and subsequently are able to call forth collective memories and years of intercommunications.  In addition, older adult couples usually report less conflicts, and appear to acquire more meaning out of their spousal relationships.  They also report less psychological distress and rates of illness than older singles.  These benefits appear to be chiefly noticeable in later life.

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