Chronic disease in elderly couples - Are women more responsive to their spouses' health condition than men?

Objective: The aim of the present study is to increase knowledge regarding associations between couples' health condition and psychological distress in both spouses considering gender as well as patient/spouse status. Method: We examined a community-based sample of 995 elderly couples in which either both spouses were healthy, one of them suffered from chronic disease or both spouses were ill. Both spouses filled out the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: In line with our hypotheses, the results showed an association between women's psychological distress and their own as well as their spouse's health condition, whereas men's psychological distress was associated only with their own health condition. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the need for awareness of gender and patient/spouse differences in psychological distress among elderly couples confronted with chronic disease. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.