Drawing on stress buffering and amplification frameworks, we used data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative population-based longitudinal survey of U.S. older adults to evaluate (1) the extent to which older adults experiencing financial hardship differ with respect to depressive symptoms; (2) whether these associations are buffered or amplified by partner/spouse support and strain, respectively; and (3) whether the purported stress buffering and amplifying roles of romantic relationships vary by sense of purpose in life. Analyses were adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic status indicators, and health conditions that are well-established correlates of financial hardship and depressive symptoms. Understanding these dynamics may inform interventions that leverage relational and psychological resources to protect mental health under financial stress.

Accepted Oral Presentation