Soutien conjugal, stratégies adaptatives et bien-être: analyse différentielle des perceptions des conjoints âgés

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the elderly marital partners' perceptions of conjugal support and coping strategies and the relationship between these perceptions and their well-being. A multistage sample of 135 community-dwelling elderly couples, 65 years of age and over, was drawn from users and non-users of the health and social systems in a large metropolitan area. A series of questionnaires, presented within an interview format, were used to measure the variables. Each spouse was separately interviewed at home. Pairedt-tests revealed that husbands tended to perceive more support from their spouse and to use less external social support than wives when coping with daily problems. Intraclass coefficients of correlation between husbands' and wives' coping strategies were only low to moderate. However, for both marital partners, results revealed significant positive correlations between availability and reciprocity of conjugal support and well-being and a negative association between conflict within the conjugal relationship and well-being. Only two cognitive coping strategies, namely reframing and active appraisal were positively related to the well-being of both spouses. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that congruency of perception between husbands and wives had an effect only on wives' well-being. These findings suggest psychosocial interventions and are discussed in relation to previous studies and future research.

Y a-t-il restructuration des stratégies adaptatives suite au veuvage? Une étude longitudinale

“…Ce constat a ete fait dans d'autres etudes. On a ainsi documente que les femmes font davantage appel a leur reseau de soutien social informel et utilisent davantage de strategies cognitives que les hommes lors de difficultes dans leur vie (Antonucci & Akiyama, 1987;Ducharme, 1993Ducharme, , 1995. Les processus de socialisation differents des hommes et des femmes contribuent a expliquer ces differences.…”

From a Cultural Stance: Suicide and Aging in a Changing World

“…The presence of a "social support system" per se could be less important than the importance of being recognized, the possibility of giving as well as receiving tangible or intangible things. This could explain why, in a study on social support and well-being in elderly couples, the main significant variable was emotional and instrumental social support from the spouse, especially for men, while the presence of a larger system of social support and the use of health and social services did not significantly relate to a sense of well-being (Ducharme, 1993). Elderly advocacy groups could play an important role not only for what they are able to achieve but also for the public visibility they give to the aged and for the image they project of an active protest group, well in line with Western cultural values.…”

Le veuvage chez les hommes et les femmes âgés, une étude exploratoire des significations et des stratégies adaptatives

“…Ce projet exploratoire est issu de ces constatations ainsi que d'un questionnement quant aux principaux resultats d'une etude longitudinale que le premier auteur a menee recemment (Ducharme, 1992(Ducharme, ,1993(Ducharme, ,1994(Ducharme, ,1995. Les objectifs de cette etude etaient de decrire la maniere dont l'utilisation de strategies adaptatives face aux stresseurs de la vie quotidienne (daily hassles) se modifie avec le temps et de verifier la relation existant entre ces strategies et la sante mentale de conjoints ages vivant a leur domicile.…”

“…On peut citer plus particulierement les valeurs et croyances sociales qui concernent la recherche d'aide, l'autonomie, l'importance de la reciprocity dans les echanges de services; ces valeurs constitueraient des definisseurs culturels qui peuvent influencer differemment, chez les hommes et les femmes, le choix des strategies d'adaptation au veuvage (O'Bryant & Morgan, 1990;Pearlin, 1988Pearlin, ,1989. L'ensemble de ces considerations th^oriques et empiriques, de meme que les resultats de nos etudes anterieures (Ducharme, 1992(Ducharme, ,1993(Ducharme, ,1994(Ducharme, ,1995 nous ont amenees a nous interroger sur la signification de l'experience du veuvage dans la vie des hommes et des femmes ages, de meme que sur les strategies adaptatives qu'ils mettent en place afin de reorganiser leur existence quotidienne suite a la perte de leur conjoint. Ce questionnement rejoint la position de Pearlin (1989) Les objectifs specifiques de ce projet exploratoire etaient done les suivants: (1) mettre au point une approche qui permette de mieux comprendre la signification de 1'experience du veuvage et des strategies adaptatives utilisees en reponse a cette experience en tenant compte des perceptions des principaux acteurs, soit les personnes agees; (2) identifier les reperes individuels et collectifs pouvant influencer tant l'experience du veuvage que les strategies utilisees suite a la perte du conjoint; et (3) comparer les significations du veuvage et la restructuration de ces strategies adaptatives chez des veufs et des veuves ages.…”