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February 20, 2026International Journal of Behavioral DevelopmentOpen Access

Relationship transitions and well-being in middle-aged and older men and women

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Authors

IWIris V. WahringUniversity of ViennaUGUrmimala GhoseCal Poly HumboldtCHChristiane A. HoppmannUniversity of British Columbia

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Implication

Longitudinal data reveals relationship transitions affect well-being similarly in older men and women, suggesting shared outcomes.

Key Points

  • The aim is to investigate how relationship transitions affect the well-being of middle-aged and older adults, focusing on gender differences.
  • Utilized longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study with 2,840 participants.
  • Compared two-year changes in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among those experiencing relationship transitions and matched controls.
  • Examined emotional support and its relationship to well-being variations by gender and age.
  • Men experience less emotional support than women, but relationship transition effects were similar for both genders.
  • No decline in well-being was linked to separation for either gender.
  • Moving in together, with or without marriage, increased life satisfaction, while marriage among cohabitators did not yield similar increases.

Cite This Study

Wahring et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6997faddad1d9b11b3453efahttps://doi.org/10.1177/01650254261419712
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