Marital Intimacy Among Older Persons

Abstract

This article reports on a study of the choice of confidant among a sample of married persons aged 55 and over. Although 85% of the women and 70% of the men reported having a confidant, less than 30% of the women and 40% of the men reported confiding in their spouses. Those who do confide in their spouses have markedly higher levels of marital satisfaction than others and also generally score higher on measures of overall emotional well-being. In many cases, the estimated negative effects of confiding in someone other than one's spouse are as large as or larger than the negative effects of not having a confidant. These findings indicate the import of identity of the confidant for both marital and general well-being.