Daily Rumination among Older Men and Women: The Role of Perceived Family and Non-Family Social Partner Life Stress

Abstract

Objectives Women tend to ruminate more than men, and are generally more hypervigilant to the emotions of others in order to maintain positive social ties. Thus, compared to men, women may ruminate more when their social partners have greater life stresses. However, the literature on stressful events typically focuses on individuals’ experiences and perceptions of stressors experienced by specific social ties such as spousal partners and adult children. The purpose of this study was to examine links between perceptions of a broad array of family and non-family social partner stresses and daily rumination among older men and women. Methods Adults aged 65 and older 293 adults (N = 293, 55% women) completed baseline assessments of family and non-family life stressors and 5-6 consecutive nightly assessments regarding rumination, interpersonal tensions, worries and support provision. Results Multilevel structural equation models revealed that perceptions of greater family and non-family life stressors were associated with greater rumination. The links between family stress and rumination varied by gender: Family stress was related to greater rumination among women and not men. Moreover, among women, family and non-family stress-rumination links were accounted for by greater daily worries about others, and among men, the non-family stress-rumination link was due to greater interpersonal tensions as well as daily worries. Discussion These findings may be due in part to gender role socialization and women’s greater kin keeping and investment in family ties.