Webster Noah J, Ajrouch Kristine J, Antonucci Toni C
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States.
OBM Geriat. 2021;4(2). doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2002118. Epub 2020 May 12.
Forgiveness may serve as an essential positive resource to help individuals cope emotionally with stressful events, ultimately influencing health. Examination of how individuals forgive within the context of close relationships can provide useful information about positive aging. In this study, we examine how the severity of a recent transgression committed by a spouse/partner or other close social relationship is associated with self-reported physical health among older adults. We also examine how state forgiveness (i.e., in context of a specific event) can offset the potentially negative impact of transgressions on health and further compare the impact when the transgressor is a spouse/partner versus another close social relationship. Data are from the Detroit Community Survey, a cross-sectional survey of social relations, forgiveness, humility, and health in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Respondents age 50 and older were selected for analysis (N=380). Structural equation models indicated that greater transgression severity was associated with worse self-rated health. Further, state forgiveness was found to play a significant moderating role. Among older adults who were more likely to forgive their transgressor, experiencing a more severe transgression was associated with worse health. In contrast, among older adults less likely to forgive, there was no association between transgression severity and self-rated health. Additionally, among older adults less likely to forgive, the transgressor being a close other social relationship was associated with worse health compared to when it was a spouse/partner. In contrast, when more likely to forgive there was no association between who the transgressor was and self-rated health. This study contributes to a better understanding of how interpersonal stress, specifically a recent transgression experienced within the context of close social relationships, can be harmful to older adults' health. Findings highlight the importance of forgiveness as a resource that can help facilitate positive aging.
宽恕可能是一种重要的积极资源，有助于个体在情感上应对压力事件，最终影响健康。研究个体在亲密关系中如何宽恕，可为积极老龄化提供有用信息。在本研究中，我们考察配偶/伴侣或其他亲密社会关系中近期所犯过错的严重程度与老年人自我报告的身体健康之间的关联。我们还考察情境宽恕（即在特定事件背景下）如何能够抵消过错对健康的潜在负面影响，并进一步比较过错方是配偶/伴侣与其他亲密社会关系时的影响。数据来自底特律社区调查，这是一项对底特律都会区社会关系、宽恕、谦逊和健康的横断面调查。选取50岁及以上的受访者进行分析（N = 380）。结构方程模型表明，过错严重程度越高，自我健康评分越差。此外，发现情境宽恕起到了显著的调节作用。在更有可能宽恕过错方的老年人中，经历更严重的过错与更差的健康状况相关。相比之下，在不太可能宽恕的老年人中，过错严重程度与自我健康评分之间没有关联。此外，在不太可能宽恕的老年人中，与过错方是配偶/伴侣相比，过错方是其他亲密社会关系时健康状况更差。相比之下，在更有可能宽恕的情况下，过错方是谁与自我健康评分之间没有关联。本研究有助于更好地理解人际压力，特别是在亲密社会关系背景下近期经历的过错，如何对老年人的健康有害。研究结果凸显了宽恕作为一种有助于促进积极老龄化的资源的重要性。
