Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (748 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Married persons, i.e., husbands and wives, or partners. Domestic partners, or spousal equivalents, are two adults who have chosen to share their lives in an intimate and committed relationship, reside together, and share a mutual obligation of support for the basic necessities of life.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Married Persons; Married Person; Person, Married; Persons, Married; Spouse; Spousal Notification; Notification, Spousal; Husbands.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Family; Persons
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 12,964 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Spouses” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 2,832 of them (21.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 5,284 records.
Reviews account for 568 records (4.4%) and meta-analyses for 67. Randomized controlled trials number 422 (3.3%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 1,553 |
| 2000-2009 | 3,295 |
| 2010-2019 | 5,284 |
| 2020 onward | 2,832 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 568 | 4.4% |
| Meta-analyses | 67 | 0.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 422 | 3.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Spouses"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Examining the association between functional social support, marital status, and memory: a systematic review [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundFunctional social support (FSS) has been shown to be positively associated with better cognitive function, especially memory, in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
- Closing excerpt
- Despite theoretical support for examining the impact of marital status or related variables on the association between FSS and memory, published studies explored this issue secondarily to other research questions.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (229 words)
BackgroundFunctional social support (FSS) has been shown to be positively associated with better cognitive function, especially memory, in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. To better understand this complex association, researchers should consider the impact of additional factors that affect both FSS and memory. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to examine whether one such factor, marital status or related variables (e.g., FSS from spouses compared to FSS from relatives or friends), affects (e.g., confounds or modifies) the association between FSS and memory in middle-aged and older adults.MethodsWe searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus from database inception to June 2022. Eligible articles examined the association between FSS and memory, and included marital status or related variables in the analysis. Data were synthesized narratively and reported in accordance with the Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines; risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).ResultsFour articles were included in the narrative synthesis. All four articles had a low risk of bias. Overall findings suggested some positive associations between FSS from a spouse/partner and memory; however, effect sizes were small and similar to other sources of support, including children, relatives, and friends.ConclusionsOur review is the first attempt to synthesize the literature on this topic. Despite theoretical support for examining the impact of marital status or related variables on the association between FSS and memory, published studies explored this issue secondarily to other research questions.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37173618 · DOI · PMC10182629
The Longitudinal Dyadic Associations Between Social Participation and Cognitive Function in Older Chinese Couples [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectivesBased on the "linked lives" tenant of the life course perspective, this longitudinal study aims to examine the actor and partner effects of social participation on cognitive function in older Chinese couples.
- Closing excerpt
- Moreover, policymakers should build more facilities to encourage older couples to engage in social activities to prevent cognitive decline.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (180 words)
ObjectivesBased on the "linked lives" tenant of the life course perspective, this longitudinal study aims to examine the actor and partner effects of social participation on cognitive function in older Chinese couples.MethodsA total of 1,706 couples aged 60 and older were included in the final analyses. Social participation was measured using 2 questions regarding types of activities and frequency. Cognitive function was measured using a combination of memory, orientation, visuoconstruction, attention, and calculation. The lagged-dependent APIM was used to model the dyadic associations between social participation and cognitive function.ResultsThe time-averaged actor effects of both husbands' and wives' social participation on their own cognitive function were significant (p .05 for all).DiscussionOur findings indicate an asymmetrical pattern of actor-partner interdependence, where husbands' social participation may affect their wives' cognitive function on average, but wives' social participation does not affect their husbands' cognitive function. Clinical practitioners should invite both partners, especially husbands, to participate in social participation interventions to facilitate crossover benefits for wives. Moreover, policymakers should build more facilities to encourage older couples to engage in social activities to prevent cognitive decline.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38605680 · DOI · PMC11067812
Qualitative Examination of the Role and Influence of Mothers-in-Law on Young Married Couples' Family Planning in Rural Maharashtra, India [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Unmet need for family planning (FP) continues to be high in India, especially among young and newly married women.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings highlight the need for engagement of MILs for FP promotion in rural India and the potential utility of social norms interventions.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (237 words)
Unmet need for family planning (FP) continues to be high in India, especially among young and newly married women. Mothers-in-law (MILs) often exert pressure on couples for fertility and control decision making and behaviors around fertility and FP, yet there is a paucity of literature to understand their perspectives. Ten focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out with MILs of young married women (aged 18-29 years) participating in a couple-focused FP intervention as a part of a cluster-randomized intervention evaluation trial (the CHARM2 study) in rural Maharashtra, India. FGDs included questions on their roles, attitudes, and decision making around fertility and FP. Audio-recorded data were translated/transcribed into English and analyzed for key themes using a deductive coding method. MILs reported having social norms of early fertility and son preference. They understood that family size norms are lower among daughters-in-law and that spacing can be beneficial but were not supportive of short-term contraceptives, especially before the first child. They preferred female sterilization, opposed abortion, had apprehensions around side effects from contraceptive use, and had misconceptions about the intrauterine device, with particular concerns around its coercive insertion. MILs mostly believed that decision making should be done jointly by a husband and wife, but that as elders, they should be consulted and involved in the decision-making process. These findings highlight the need for engagement of MILs for FP promotion in rural India and the potential utility of social norms interventions.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36316150 · DOI · PMC9622279
Effect of a Gender-Synchronized Family Planning Intervention on Inequitable Gender Norms in a Cluster Randomized Control Trial Among Husbands of Married Adolescent Girls in Dosso, Niger [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Gender inequitable norms have severe consequences for safety and health globally.
- Closing excerpt
- As a cost-effective, scalable, and transferable intervention, this small group intervention could be valuable for reducing the negative impact of inequitable gender norms in similar settings.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (102 words)
Gender inequitable norms have severe consequences for safety and health globally. Using data from a four-arm cluster randomized control trial of the Reaching Married Adolescents in Niger (RMA) intervention (2016-2019), this study assesses effects on gender norms among husbands of married adolescent girls (n = 1,055). Using an adjusted hierarchical difference-in-differences model, we found assignment to the RMA small groups intervention to be associated with a 0.62 decrease in inequitable gender norms (95% CI: -1.05, -0.18). As a cost-effective, scalable, and transferable intervention, this small group intervention could be valuable for reducing the negative impact of inequitable gender norms in similar settings.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40785460 · DOI · PMC13260746
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Spouses, adult children, and children-in-law as caregivers of older adults: a meta-analytic comparison [5]
- Research article Depression and anxiety in long-term cancer survivors compared with spouses and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Distress in couples coping with cancer: a meta-analysis and critical review of role and gender effects [7]
- Research article Male involvement and maternal health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article The co-dependency concept: does it offer a solution for the spouses of alcoholics? [9]
- Research article Lovesick: How Couples' Relationships Influence Health [10]
References
- Haghighi P, Oremus M. Examining the association between functional social support, marital status, and memory: a systematic review. . 2023. PMID 37173618 · DOI · PMC10182629
- Hou J, Chen T, Yu NX. The Longitudinal Dyadic Associations Between Social Participation and Cognitive Function in Older Chinese Couples. . 2024. PMID 38605680 · DOI · PMC11067812
- Dixit A, Ghule M, Rao N, Battala M, Begum S, Johns NE, et al.. Qualitative Examination of the Role and Influence of Mothers-in-Law on Young Married Couples' Family Planning in Rural Maharashtra, India. . 2022. PMID 36316150 · DOI · PMC9622279
- Boyce SC, Minnis AM, Deardorff J, McCoy SI, Challa S, Johns NE, et al.. Effect of a Gender-Synchronized Family Planning Intervention on Inequitable Gender Norms in a Cluster Randomized Control Trial Among Husbands of Married Adolescent Girls in Dosso, Niger. . 2026. PMID 40785460 · DOI · PMC13260746
- Pinquart M, Sörensen S. Spouses, adult children, and children-in-law as caregivers of older adults: a meta-analytic comparison. Psychol Aging. 2011. PMID 21417538 · DOI · PMC4449135
- Mitchell AJ, Ferguson DW, Gill J, Paul J, Symonds P. Depression and anxiety in long-term cancer survivors compared with spouses and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2013. PMID 23759376 · DOI
- Hagedoorn M, Sanderman R, Bolks HN, Tuinstra J, Coyne JC. Distress in couples coping with cancer: a meta-analysis and critical review of role and gender effects. Psychol Bull. 2008. PMID 18193993 · DOI
- Yargawa J, Leonardi-Bee J. Male involvement and maternal health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2015. PMID 25700533 · DOI · PMC4453485
- Miller KJ. The co-dependency concept: does it offer a solution for the spouses of alcoholics?. J Subst Abuse Treat. 1994. PMID 7966504 · DOI
- Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Wilson SJ. Lovesick: How Couples' Relationships Influence Health. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017. PMID 28301763 · DOI · PMC5549103
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.