Childlessness and the psychological well-being of older persons

Objectives. Rapid growth in the size of the childless elderly population ha s prompted concerns about the negative effects of childlessness on psycholo gical well-being. This study adds to this line of inquiry by examining the effects of childlessness on two important dimensions of elderly persons' ps ychological well-being: loneliness and depression. Methods. Using the 1993 Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old data set, the authors estimated logistic and ordinary least squares regression models of psychological well-being for a nationally representative sample o f people aged 70 and older (N = 6,517). Results. Childlessness per se did not significantly increase the prevalence of loneliness and depression at advanced ages, net of other factors. There also was no statistical evidence for the hypothesis that childlessness inc reases loneliness and depression for divorced, widowed, and never married e lderly persons. Sex, however, altered how childlessness and marital status influenced psychological well-being. Divorced, widowed, and never married m en who were childless had significantly higher rates of loneliness compared with women in comparable circumstances; divorced and widowed men who were childless also had significantly higher rates of depression than divorced a nd widowed women. Discussion. The Findings suggest that it is important to understand the con sequences of childlessness in the context of marital status and sex.