Interpersonal emotional behaviors and physical health: A 20-year longitudinal study of long-term married couples.

Abstract

Objectively coded interpersonal emotional behaviors that emerged during a 15-minute marital conflict interaction predicted the development of physical symptoms in a 20-year longitudinal study of long-term marriages. Dyadic latent growth curve modeling showed that anger behavior predicted increases in cardiovascular symptoms and stonewalling behavior predicted increases in musculoskeletal symptoms. Both associations were found for husbands (although cross-lagged path models also showed some support for wives) and were controlled for sociodemographic characteristics (age, education) and behaviors (i.e., exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption) known to influence health. Both associations did not exist at the start of the study, but only emerged over the ensuing 20 years. There was some support for the specificity of these relationships (i.e., stonewalling behavior did not predict cardiovascular symptoms; anger behavior did not predict musculoskeletal symptoms; neither symptom was predicted by fear nor sadness behavior), with the anger-cardiovascular relationship emerging as most robust. Using cross-lagged path models to probe directionality of these associations, emotional behaviors predicted physical health symptoms over time (with some reverse associations found as well). These findings illuminate longstanding theoretical and applied issues concerning the association between interpersonal emotional behaviors and physical health and suggest opportunities for preventive interventions focused on specific emotions to help address major public health problems.

Affective processes as mediators of links between close relationships and physical health

“…We see immediate connections occurring: For example, relationship conflict elicits negative emotions that are reflected in concurrent physiological and neuroendocrine responding (e.g., Kiecolt‐Glaser et al, , ; Miller et al, ). However, as affective process become general tendencies that are relevant across situations, we also see their effects carried out over decades (e.g., Haase et al, ). Furthermore, many of the most detrimental biological effects of these emotions occur when stress systems are activated repeatedly over time and may take longer to emerge.…”

“…These relationship‐elicited emotions can have lasting effects. One longitudinal investigation in adults showed that hostility, anger, and stonewalling during conflict discussions with a romantic partner predict cardiovascular and musculoskeletal symptoms 20 years later (Haase, Holley, Bloch, Verstaen, & Levenson, ).…”

Greater Experience of Negative Non-Target Emotions by Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases Is Related to Lower Emotional Well-Being in Caregivers

“…We suspect that the impacts of this problematic patient behavior on caregiver physical health and physical functioning will take longer to develop. For example, in a recently completed 20-year longitudinal study, we found that links between negative emotions and physical health problems in neurologically healthy couples only appeared after more than a decade [34]. …”

The Natural Principles of Love

“…In our 20‐year longitudinal study, the rating dial, coupled with behavioral coding of emotion, could even predict which husbands would die early, if their marital conflict interaction resembled a competitive, win‐or‐lose zero‐sum game, and which would live longer, if their interaction were a more like a cooperative win–win game (Gottman, ). In Levenson's lab, Haase, Holley, Bloch, Verstaen, and Levenson (in press) could even predict which type of chronic physical illnesses people would develop from their specific emotional behaviors during marital conflict 20 years prior; angry people developed chronic cardiac illness, and stonewalling people developed chronic musculoskeletal illness.…”