Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2019 Oct 4;74(8):1463-1473. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gby120.
Previous studies have shown that unmarried older adults are generally at disadvantage in personal networks and social well-being compared with the married. It can be questioned whether their situation has improved in contemporary society, as among others the stigma of divorce and being never-married has declined. We hypothesize differential developments in networks and well-being according to marital status (married, widowed, divorced, and never-married) across birth cohorts.
Data are from the 1993 and 2013 observations of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam on Dutch people aged 55-69 (N = 2,894) and 70-84 years (N = 2,317). We employ general linear modeling of network size and diversity, received emotional and instrumental support, emotional and social loneliness, and depressive symptoms.
The widowed are better off socially in 2013 than in 1993. Similar to the divorced they have a larger network, and similar to the never-married they receive more emotional support and are less emotional lonely. We find some gender differences in these developments.
Societal change has not radically altered networks and well-being of unmarried older people. The widowed seem to benefit most, possibly because they are better able to retain relationships after widowhood.
以往的研究表明，与已婚者相比，未婚的老年成年人在个人网络和社会幸福感方面通常处于劣势。可以质疑的是，随着离婚和未婚的耻辱感下降，他们的处境在当代社会是否有所改善。我们假设根据婚姻状况（已婚、丧偶、离婚和未婚），网络和幸福感会出现不同的发展。
数据来自阿姆斯特丹纵向老龄化研究对荷兰 55-69 岁（N=2894）和 70-84 岁（N=2317）人群的 1993 年和 2013 年的观察。我们采用一般线性模型来分析网络规模和多样性、获得的情感和工具支持、情感和社会孤独感以及抑郁症状。
丧偶者在 2013 年比 1993 年在社交方面更幸福。与离婚者一样，他们的网络更大，与未婚者一样，他们获得更多的情感支持，情感孤独感较低。我们在这些发展中发现了一些性别差异。
社会变革并没有从根本上改变未婚老年人的网络和幸福感。丧偶者似乎受益最大，这可能是因为他们在丧偶后更能维持关系。
