Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T07:46:48.088Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Mental Health of Elderly Couples II. Concordance for Psychiatric Morbidity in Spouses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. M. Eagles ,
L. G. Walker ,
G. W. Blackwood ,
J. A. G. Beattie  and
D. B. Restall
J. M. Eagles*
Affiliation:
The Ross Clinic, University of Aberdeen
L. G. Walker
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
G. W. Blackwood
Affiliation:
St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds. University of Aberdeen
J. A. G. Beattie
Affiliation:
Inverurie Health Centre, Inverurie
D. B. Restall
Affiliation:
Inverurie Health Centre, Inverurie
*
∗The Ross Clinic, Cornhill Road, Aberdeen AB9 2ZF, Scotland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A community sample of elderly married couples completed the 60-item General Health Questionnaire and the Leeds General Scales for the Self-Assessment of Depression and Anxiety. Significant concordance was demonstrated between the spouses' scores on these scales. Concordance was higher for depression than for anxiety. There was little to support previous findings that wives are more likely than husbands to be concordant with an ill spouse. The spouse concordance rates for psychiatric morbidity were similar to those found in studies of younger married couples.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 150 , Issue 3 , March 1987 , pp. 303 - 308
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agulnik, T. (1970) The spouse of the phobic patient. British Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 59–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benjamin, S., Decalmer, P. & Haran, D. (1982) Community screening for mental illness: a validity study of the General Health Questionnaire. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 174–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bergmann, K. (1971) The neuroses of old age. In Recent Developments in Psychogeriatrics (eds. D. W. K. Kay & A. Walk). Kent: Headley Brothers.Google Scholar
Bergmann, K., Foster, E. M., Justice, A. W. & Matthews, V. (1978) Management of the demented elderly patient in the community. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 441–449.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birtchnell, J. & Kennard, J. (1983a) Marriage and mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 193–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birtchnell, J. & Kennard, J. (1983b) Does marital maladjustment lead to mental illness? Social Psychiatry, 18, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bollerup, T. R. (1975) Prevalence of mental illness among 70 year olds domiciled in nine Copenhagen suburbs. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 51, 327–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Briscoe, C. W., Smith, J. B., Robbins, E., Marten, S. & Gaskin, F. (1973) Divorce and psychiatric disease. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 119–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. W. & Harris, T. (1978) Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. Cambridge: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Buck, C. W. & Ladd, K. L. (1965) Psychoneurosis in marital partners. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 587–590.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crown, S. (1976) Marital breakdown; epidemiology and psychotherapy. In Recent Advances in Clinical Psychiatry, 2 (ed. K. Granville-Grossman). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Dilling, H. & Weyerer, S. (1984) Prevalence of mental disorder in the small-town-rural region of Traunstein (Upper Bavaria). Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 69, 60–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dominian, J. (1972) Marital pathology: a review. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 48, 517–525.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eagles, J. M., Craig, A., Rawlinson, F., Restall, D. B., Beattie, J. A. G. & Besson, J. A. O. (1987) The psychological well-being of supporters of the demented elderly. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 293–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fengler, A. P. & Goodrich, N. (1979) Wives of elderly disabled men; the hidden patient. Gerontologist, 18, 175–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finlay-Jones, R. A. & Murphy, E. (1979) Severity of psychiatric disorder and the 30-item General Health Questionnaire. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 609–616.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, C. P. (1983) Neurotic disorders. In Companion to Psychiatric Studies, 3rd edn. (eds R. E. Kendell & A. K. Zealley). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Gilhooly, M. L. M. (1984) The impact of care-giving on caregivers: factors associated with psychological well-being of people supporting a dementing relative in the community. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 57, 35–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilleard, C. J. (1984) Problems posed for supporting relatives of geriatric and psychogeriatric day patients. Acta Psychiatricu Scandinavica, 70, 198–208.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilleard, C. J., Belford, H., Gilleard, E., Whittick, J. E. & Gledhill, K. (1984) Emotional distress amongst the supporters of the elderly mentally infirm. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 172–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilleard, C. J., Boyd, W. D. & Watt, G. (1982) Problems in caring for the elderly mentally infirm at home. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 1, 151–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Godber, C. (1977) Planning services for the elderly demented patient. Age and Ageing, 6 (Suppl), 100–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. (1972) The Detection of psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire: Technique for the Identification and Assessment of Non-Psychotic Psychiatric Illness. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. (1978) Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: NFER Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. P. & Blackwell, B. (1970) Psychiatric illness in general practice: a detailed study using a new method of case identification. British Medical Journal, ii, 439–443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grad, J. & Sainsbury, P. (1965) An evaluation of the effects of caring for the aged at home. In Psychiatric Disorders in the Aged: A Report on the Symposium Held by the World psychiatric Association. Manchester: Geigy.Google Scholar
Greene, J. G. & Timbury, G. C. (1979) A geriatric psychiatric day hospital: a five year review. Age and Ageing, 8, 49–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, I. (1959) Husbands and wives admitted to mental hospitals. Journal of Mental Science, 105, 457–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gruer, R. (1975) Needs of the Elderly in the Scottish Borders, Scottish Health Service Studies No. 33. Edinburgh: Scottish Home and Health Department.Google Scholar
Hagnell, O. (1970) Disease expectancy and incidence of mental illness among the aged. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (Suppl.) 219, 83–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagnell, O. & Kreitman, N. (1974) Mental illness in married pairs in a total population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 125, 293–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hare, E. H. & Shaw, G. A. (1965) The patient's spouse and concordance on neurooasm. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 102–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hobbs, P., Ballinger, C. B. & Smith, A. H. W. (1983) Factor analysis and validation of the General Health Questionnaire in women: a general practice study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 257–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoenig, J. & Hamilton, M. W. (1969) The Desegregation of the Mentally III. London: Rout ledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Isaacs, B., Livingstone, M. & Neville, Y. (1972) Survival of the Unfit test. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Kahn, R. L., Goldfarb, A. I., Pollock, M. & Peck, A. (1960) Brief objective measures for the determination of mental status in the aged. American Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 326–328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, D. W. K. (1976) The depressions and neuroses of later life. In Recent Advances in Clinical Psychiatry, No. 2 (ed. K. Granville-Grossman). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Kay, D. W. K., Beamish, P. & Roth, M. (1964) Old age mental disorders in Newcastle upon Tyne (Part 1. A study of prevalence). British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 146–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kay, D. W. K., Beamish, P. & Roth, M. (1964b) Old age mental disorders in Newcastle upon Tyne (Part 2. Study of possible social and medical causes). British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 668–682.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kay, D. W. K., Bergmann, K., Foster, E. M., McKechnie, A. A. & Roth, M. (1970) Mental illness and hospital usage in theekkrty: a random sample followed up. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 11, 26–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kreitman, N. (1962) Mental disorder in married couples. Journal of Mental Science, 108, 438–446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, D. W. K. (1964) The patient's spouse. British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 159–173.Google Scholar
Kay, D. W. K. (1968a) Married couples admitted to mental hospital: I. diagnostic similarity and the relation of illness to marriage. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 699–708.Google Scholar
Kay, D. W. K. (1968b) Married couples admitted to mental hospital: II. family history, age and duration of marriage. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 709–718.Google Scholar
MacMillan, D. (1960) Preventive geriatrics - opportunities of a community mental health service. Lancet, ii, 1439–1441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merikangas, K. R. (1982) Assortative mating for psychiatric disorders and psychological traits. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 1173–1180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merikangas, K. R. (1984) Divorce and assortative mating among depressed patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 74–76.Google ScholarPubMed
Negri, F., Melica, A. M., Zuliana, R., Gasperini, M., Macciardi, F. & Smeraldi, E. (1981) Genetic implications in assortative mating of affective disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 236–239.Google ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, J. (1962) Geronto-psychiatric period prevalence investigations in geographically delimited population. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 38, 307–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nielsen, J. (1964) Mental disorders in married couples (assortative mating). British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 683–697.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nilsson, L. V. (1983) Personality changes in the aged: a transectional and longitudinal study with the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 68, 202–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nilsson, L. V. & Persson, G. (1984) Prevalence of mental disorders in an urban sample examined at 70, 75 and 79 years of age. Acta Psychiatric Scandinavica, 69, 519–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ovenstone, I. M. K. (1973) The development of neuroses in the wives of neurotic men. Part 1, symptomatology and personality. British Journal of Psychiatry, 122, 35–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parsons, T. L. (1965) Mental health of Swansea's old folk. British Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine, 19, 43–47.Google Scholar
Pond, D. A., Ryle, A. & Hamilton, M. (1963) Marriage and neurosis in a working class population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 109, 592–598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Post, F. (1982) Functional disorders, I: description, incidence and recognition. In The Psychiatry of Late Life (eds R. Levy & F. Post). Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Registrar General Scotland (1982a) Census 1981 Scotland: Report for Grampian Region, Volume I. Edinburgh: HMSO.Google Scholar
Registrar General Scotland (1982b) Annual Report 1981. Edinburgh: HMSO.Google Scholar
Reisberg, B., Ferris, S. H., De Leon, M. J. & Crook, T. (1982) The global deterioration scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 1136–1139.Google ScholarPubMed
Restall, D. (1984) Troubleshooting for the elderly. Community View, 25, 6–8.Google Scholar
Robertson, N. C. (1974) The relationship between marital status and the risk of psychiatric referral. British Journal of Psychiatry, 124, 191–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sainsbury, P., Costain, W. R. & Grad, J. (1965) The effects of community service on the referral and admission rates of elderly psychiatric patients. In Psychiatric Disorders in the Aged: A Report on the Symposium Held by the World Psychiatric Association. Manchester: Geigy.Google Scholar
Sanford, J. R. A. (1975) Tolerance of debility in elderly dependents by supporters at home: its significance for hospital practice. British Medical Journal, iii, 471–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sims, A. (1978) Hypotheses linking neuroses with premature mortality. Psychological Medicine, 8, 255–263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snaith, R. P., Ahmed, S. N., Mehta, F. & Hamilton, M. (1971) The assessment of the severity of primary depressive illness. Psychological Medicine, 1, 143–149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snaith, R. P., Ahmed, S. N., Mehta, F., Bridge, G. W. K. & Hamilton, M. (1976) The Leeds scales for the self-assessment of anxiety and depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128, 156–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tarnopolsky, A., Hand, D. J., McLean, E. K., Roberts, H. & Wiggins, R. D. (1979) Validity and uses of a screening questionnaire (GHQ) in the community. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 508–515.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thornes, B. & Collard, J. (1979) Who Divorces? London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Townsend, P. & Wedderburn, D. (1965) The Aged in the Welfare State. London: G. Bell and Sons.Google Scholar
Turner, R. J. & Sternberg, M. P. (1978) Psychosocial factors in elderly patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Age and Ageing, 7, 171–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weissman, M. M. & Klerman, G. L. (1977) Sex differences in the epidemiology of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 98–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williamson, J., Stokoe, I. H., Gray, S., Fisher, M., Smith, A., McGhee, A. & Stephenson, E. (1964) Old people at home: their unreported needs. Lancet, 1, 1117–1120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, L. A. & Brass, W. (1973) Brief assessment of the mental state in geriatric domiciliary practice: the usefulness of the Mental Status Questionnaire. Age and Ageing, 2, 92–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zarit, S. H., Reever, K. E. & Bach-Peterson, J. (1980) Relatives of the impaired elderly: correlates of feelings of burden. Gerontologist, 20, 649–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.