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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Childlessness and the psychological well-being of older persons | | Author(s) | Zhenmei Zhang, Mark D Hayward |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 56B, no 5, September 2001 |
| Pages | pp S311-S320 |
| Keywords | Childless ; Well being ; Loneliness ; Depression ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | The childless older population in the US has grown quickly, accounting for one fifth of over 65s in 1990. This study adds to the line of inquiry regarding negative effects of childlessness. The authors use the 1993 Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) survey to examine two dimensions of psychological well-being: loneliness and depression. Childlessness per se did not significantly increase the prevalence of loneliness and depression at advanced ages, net of other factors. There was also no statistical evidence for the hypothesis that childlessness increases loneliness and depression for divorced, widowed and never married older people. Gender, however, altered how childlessness and marital status influenced psychological well-being. Divorced, widowed and never married men who were childless had significantly higher rates of loneliness compared with women in comparable circumstances. Divorced and widowed men who were childless also had significantly higher rates of depression than divorced or widowed women. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-011025214 A |
| Classmark | SU: D:F:5HH: DV: ENR: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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