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Positive, Negative, and Ambivalent Interactions With Family and Friends: Associations With Well‐being
Author(s) -
Lee Hyo Jung,
Szinovacz Maximiliane E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/jomf.12302
Subject(s) - ambivalence , psychology , mental health , life satisfaction , depressive symptoms , positive relationship , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , anxiety
Although the relationship between social relationships and mental health is well established, debate continues about the relative importance of specific sources (spouses, children, relatives, friends) as well as of positive and negative interactions. The authors examined the associations of positive, negative, and ambivalent interactions with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms for spouses, children, relatives, and friends, using data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study ( N = 6,418). The findings generally showed positive associations between positive interactions and mental health and negative associations between negative or ambivalent interactions and mental health. These associations were most pronounced for relationships with spouses and children. Gender differences were found in life satisfaction but not in depressive symptoms. These results imply that future research on older adults needs to consider both positive and negative relationship features from diverse sources separately and in combination to disentangle their relative effects and their additive or compensatory potential.