Perceived partner responsiveness moderates the association between received emotional support and all-cause mortality.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) moderates the association between received partner emotional support (RPES) and all-cause mortality in a national U.S. sample.

METHOD

Data were from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, a national probability survey of health and aging. Participants included respondents who were married or cohabiting with a romantic partner.

RESULTS

Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that after adjusting for demographics, physical health status, health behaviors, psychological symptoms, and personality traits, high RPES was associated with increased mortality risk among participants who reported low PPR, but it was unrelated to mortality risk among participants who reported high PPR.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to document that perceived partner responsiveness moderates the association between received partner emotional support and mortality risk, thus contributing to the literature on the contextual factors altering the effects of received support on health outcomes.