Impact of work, stress and health on the mental health of older farm couples

Purpose: Among older farmers, depressive symptoms may be influenced by work patterns, satisfaction with work, stress, and health status. In addition, members of a couple may affect each other's depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of depressive symptoms in a sample of older farm couples in Kentucky and South Carolina. Methods: 494 couples participated in the baseline interview for a longitudinal study of older farmers, with participants ranging in age from 50 to 89 years. Data from husbands and wives were used together in a dyad-based regression model (i.e., the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model with distinguishable dyads) to determine predictors of depressive symptoms. Findings: Men's depressive symptoms scores were predicted by their own number of health conditions and stress and by their wives' stress and health conditions. Women's depressive symptoms scores were predicted by their own satisfaction with work, stress, and number of health conditions and by their husbands' time spent working on the farm and stress. Conclusions: Stress management may be particularly important in farm couples, since perceived duress of one member of the dyad impacts both. Work factors and health conditions also affect depressive symptoms in older rural couples.