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The Mental Health of Elderly Couples II. Concordance for Psychiatric Morbidity in Spouses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. M. Eagles ,
L. G. Walker ,
G. W. Blackwood ,
J. A. G. Beattie  and
D. B. Restall
J. M. Eagles*
Affiliation:
The Ross Clinic, University of Aberdeen
L. G. Walker
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
G. W. Blackwood
Affiliation:
St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds. University of Aberdeen
J. A. G. Beattie
Affiliation:
Inverurie Health Centre, Inverurie
D. B. Restall
Affiliation:
Inverurie Health Centre, Inverurie
*
∗The Ross Clinic, Cornhill Road, Aberdeen AB9 2ZF, Scotland
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Abstract

A community sample of elderly married couples completed the 60-item General Health Questionnaire and the Leeds General Scales for the Self-Assessment of Depression and Anxiety. Significant concordance was demonstrated between the spouses' scores on these scales. Concordance was higher for depression than for anxiety. There was little to support previous findings that wives are more likely than husbands to be concordant with an ill spouse. The spouse concordance rates for psychiatric morbidity were similar to those found in studies of younger married couples.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 150 , Issue 3 , March 1987 , pp. 303 - 308
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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