Marital loss, mental health and the role of perceived social support: findings from six waves of an Australian population based panel study
Marital loss, mental health and the role of perceived social support: findings from six waves of an Australian population based panel study
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DOI：
10.1136/jech.2009.104893
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发表时间：
2012-04-01
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
Giskes, Katrina
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hewitt, Belinda;Turrell, Gavin;Giskes, Katrina
目的探讨离婚期(分居、丧偶)对男性和女性自述心理健康的影响，并检验社会支持知觉是否起到干预作用。方法采用澳大利亚人群研究的6波(2001-06)，分析样本为3017名男性和3225名女性。心理健康采用MHI-5量表评分0-100(阿尔法=0.97)，得分越高，表明心理健康状况越好。对社会支持的感知使用10个条目的量表进行测量，范围从10到70(阿尔法=0.79)，得分越高表示感受到的社会支持越高。结果调整社会特征后，离婚男性(-5.79分)或丧偶男性(-7.63分)的心理健康水平低于已婚男性。分居(-6.65分)或丧偶(-9.28分)的女性在精神健康方面也出现了类似的下降。将感知到的社会支持包括在模型中，表明社会支持对婚姻损失的心理健康起到了很小的中介作用。感受到的社会支持和婚姻转变之间的相互作用显示，对丧偶的男性有很强的缓和作用。女性之间没有显著的交互作用。结论婚姻损失显著降低心理健康。增加或保持高水平的社会支持有可能在配偶去世后立即改善丧偶男性的心理健康。
Objectives To investigate the impact of transitions out of marriage (separation, widowhood) on the self reported mental health of men and women, and examine whether perceptions of social support play an intervening role.Methods The analysis used six waves (2001-06) of an Australian population based panel study, with an analytical sample of 3017 men and 3225 women. Mental health was measured using the MHI-5 scale scored 0-100 (alpha=0.97), with a higher score indicating better mental health. Perceptions of social support were measured using a 10-item scale ranging from 10 to 70 (alpha=0.79), with a higher score indicating higher perceived social support. A linear mixed model for longitudinal data was used, with lags for marital status, mental health and social support.Results After adjustment for social characteristics there was a decline in mental health for men who separated (-5.79 points) or widowed (-7.63 points), compared to men who remained married. Similar declines in mental health were found for women who separated (-6.65 points) or became widowed (-9.28 points). The inclusion of perceived social support in the models suggested a small mediation effect of social support for mental health with marital loss. Interactions between perceived social support and marital transitions showed a strong moderating effect for men who became widowed. No significant interactions were found for women.Conclusion Marital loss significantly decreased mental health. Increasing, or maintaining, high levels of social support has the potential to improve widowed men's mental health immediately after the death of their spouse.