Both Partnership History and Current Relationship Quality are Associated With Life Satisfaction in Old Age
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21461007 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elisa Tambellini (0000-0002-4437-1490, Population Research Institute of Väestöliitto, corresponding author), Mirkka Danielsbacka (0000-0002-8547-9502, Population Research Institute of Väestöliitto), Anna Rotkirch (0000-0002-9429-1499, Population Research Institute of Väestöliitto) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 193-209 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research on Aging (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0164-0275 • E-ISSN: 1552-7573 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01640275241309255 |
| PMID | 39688541 |
| OpenAlex | W4405498355 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 97 |
Romantic relationships significantly impact physical and mental wellbeing. While both partnership history and current relationship quality influence wellbeing in later life, they are seldom investigated together. This study examines the long-term effects of partnership history on wellbeing, exploring whether current relationship quality can mitigate the impact of past experiences. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Finland, we categorize partnership histories and examine if relationship quality mediates their effect on life satisfaction. The analysis identifies five partnership history clusters, revealing that continuous relationships lead to the highest life satisfaction, while unstable histories are linked to lower wellbeing. High relationship satisfaction and fewer conflicts are associated with greater wellbeing for both sexes. Relationship quality mediates the negative associations between unstable partnership histories and subjective wellbeing for both men and women but does not alter the wellbeing associations for those with a continuous partnership history
General partnership · Life satisfaction · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Sociology · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |