間眅埶AV

Romantic partners share similar lifestyles, and studies demonstrate they exhibit similar trajectories of health and wellbeing over time. For example, when one partner���s health declines, the other partner���s health is likely to be affected. This interconnected pattern is known as concordance.

Getting married, becoming parents and seeing adult children leave home are major transitions in the lives of couples that could affect their individual health, wellbeing and shared concordance over time.

間眅埶AV (間眅埶AV) gerontology professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging Theresa Pauly studies health and wellbeing across adulthood and old age. Her expertise spans psychology, gerontology and physiology, allowing her to explore the interconnections between physical health, emotional wellbeing and social contexts

Pauly also leads the 間眅埶AV Health & Wellbeing Lab at 間眅埶AV. Her award-winning research aims to inform the development of programs and policies that support healthy aging.

Her research project, , followed over 5,000 couples in a longitudinal study spanning more than two decades. It looked at self-reported life satisfaction, mental health and physical health during two crucial life transitions���becoming parents and children leaving home.

The study provides insight into how relationship transitions impact each partner���s functioning separately, as well as how the interconnectedness between couples can affect both partners��� health and wellbeing.

We spoke with Professor Pauly about her research. 

How did the major life transition of having children affect a couple���s wellbeing concordance?  

Parenthood is often anticipated with joy, but it can lead to significant challenges for couples. New parents frequently face increased emotional distance, reduced intimacy and fewer shared activities. The demands of parenting on time, energy, finances and relationship dynamics often result in short-term drops in health and wellbeing comparable to other major life stressors.

In line with prior research, German and Australian couples reported a drop in life satisfaction and self-rated health in the year following the parenthood transition. Australian couples also reported a drop in mental health. Couples��� trajectories in life satisfaction, self-rated health, physical health and mental health also became more strongly linked after becoming parents. This heightened interdependence could lead to parallel declines in health and wellbeing which could impair couples��� capacity to manage the demands of new parenthood.

Did the transition to an ���empty nest��� affect couple���s concordance as well?

In Western societies, the empty nest transition���when adult children leave home���was once thought to be a difficult and even distressing experience for parents, often labeled as ���empty nest syndrome.��� However, research has shown mixed outcomes, with some parents experiencing improved wellbeing and relationship closeness, while others report no significant change.

Our study reflects this variability. German couples reported a drop in life satisfaction after the empty nest transition, while Australian couples experienced improved mental health.

Did age or the historical timing of transitions impact a couple���s concordance?

Participants in the German sample became empty nesters nearly a decade earlier in life than those in the Australian sample���an average age of 41 versus 50���while still managing multiple responsibilities, such as career demands, caregiving for aging parents, and other role transitions. The additional burden of adjusting to the loss of the parental role, financially supporting children���s independence, and renegotiating couple dynamics may have contributed to decreased life satisfaction if the transition happened when participants were aged relatively younger.

The German sample also experienced the empty nest transition earlier in historical time���at around the year 2002 on average (with some as early as 1985), whereas the Australian sample transitioned later, around the year 2011 on average. These historical differences may reflect generational changes.

More recent cohorts tend to have higher levels of education, better physical and mental health, greater economic resources, and more access to digital technology for staying connected with their children. Additionally, shifting social norms, for example more egalitarian gender roles, less stigma around parental role change, and increased social engagement through volunteering or non-kin relationships may make the transition smoother for newer generations.

Was one transition more disruptive than the other?

Similarly to the transition to parenthood, couples showed stronger concordance in trajectories of life satisfaction and physical and mental health after the empty nest transition, suggesting that changes during this period were often shared.

During this phase, couples often spend more time together and feel closer, which can lead them to influence each other���s moods and behaviors more strongly. In some cases, the empty nest transition happens around the same time as retirement, meaning partners may begin to share similar daily routines and face health changes together as they grow older.

Overall, the transition to parenthood was more strongly linked to couples��� health and wellbeing compared to the empty nest transition. It also was associated with a stronger alignment in how partners��� health and wellbeing changed over time post transition.

This may be because becoming parents brings intense, shared demands���such as sleep disruption, new responsibilities and emotional strain���that deeply shape both partners��� daily lives. In contrast, the empty nest transition often involves fewer immediate stressors and may even offer couples more space and time for personal recovery and reconnection.

How can couples harness their interconnectedness to support each other���s wellbeing?

Couples can support each other���s wellbeing by communicating openly, creating shared healthy routines, and staying attuned to each other���s needs. This interconnectedness is powerful because concordance���when partners��� health and behaviors change together���can be both a challenge and a source of strength.

For example, research from the who followed over 3,500 couples for a decade found that when one partner adopted healthier habits���like quitting smoking, becoming more physically active, or losing weight���the other partner was likely to follow suit. For example, participants were five times more likely to start being physically active if their partner also became active, compared to when their partner remained inactive.

According to the , couples affect each other through shared beliefs, environments, behaviors and support strategies. When partners encourage and model healthy changes, they boost both their chances of improving wellbeing together, strengthening their ability to manage daily life and challenges as a team.

Your longitudinal data covers almost three decades in the lives of the couples studied���from 1984 to 2011. How did shifts in gender roles, social attitudes and policy supports affected the study���s outcomes? 

In Western countries, the last decades have seen significant shifts in gender roles, with increasing equality and more shared responsibilities between men and women, which may have affected how couples navigated life transitions together. Changes in societal attitudes toward parenting, work and family life���along with evolving policy supports like parental leave and healthcare���also likely shaped couples��� experiences and wellbeing. For example, more recent cohorts might have benefited from greater resources and social acceptance of diverse family roles, making transitions like parenthood or the empty nest less stressful or more manageable.

From a public health perspective, these findings highlight the importance of policies that help reduce stress for new parents. In Germany, since 1992, parents have had eight weeks of paid maternity leave and 36 months of unpaid, job-protected leave, with a 2007 law introducing income-dependent paid leave for 12 to 14 months. In Australia, parents have been entitled to one year of unpaid job-protected leave since 1996, and an 18-week paid parental leave at minimum wage was introduced in 2011. Such policies are crucial to support parents��� health and wellbeing in the long term.

Do the findings suggests ways of strengthening social and policy supports for couples experiencing these major transitions?

Yes, definitely. These findings suggest that improvements in policies and support systems can make a meaningful difference for couples navigating major life transitions like becoming parents or retiring. For example, enhanced parental leave policies that provide paid time off and job protection���as seen in Germany and Australia���can reduce stress and promote better health and wellbeing for new parents.

Similarly, support around retirement, such as access to healthcare and flexible work options, can help couples adjust more smoothly and maintain their wellbeing as they age. Overall, strengthening the supports for these transitions could help couples cope better, improve their shared health outcomes, and build resilience together.

To learn more, and/or become a research participant, visit Theresa Pauly���s The 間眅埶AV Health & Wellbeing Lab.