What's Mine is Yours: Evaluation of Shared Well-Being Among Married Couples and the Dyadic Influence on Individual Well-Being Change

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between partner well-being and outcomes of chronically diseased individuals participating in an employer sponsored well-being improvement program. METHODS: Using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model, we evaluated whether prior partner well-being was associated with well-being change among 2025 couples. Logistic regression models were then used to explore how spousal well-being risks relate to development and elimination of risks among program participants. RESULTS: High well-being partners were associated with positive well-being change. Specifically, the partner effect for spouses’ high well-being on disease management participants was a 1.5 point higher well-being in the following time period (P = 0.001) while the partner effect of participants’ high well-being on spouses was nearly 1.1 points (P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Well-being within couples is interdependent, and partner well-being is an important predictor of individual well-being change.