The Effect of Anger Communication on Anxiety in Older Couples: A Longitudinal Dyadic Investigation

Anger is a communicative emotion, often regulated in response to relational partners. While its effects on health are well documented, less is known about how anger communication dynamics shape emotional well-being in older couples. This study examined the longitudinal effects of anger expression and suppression on anxiety within older marital dyads. Drawing on two waves of dyadic data from a large, nationally representative U.S. study, we used an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to test how one’s own and a partner’s anger communication predicts anxiety 4 years later. Results revealed gendered patterns where men’s anxiety was associated with both their own and their spouse’s anger expression and suppression, whereas women’s anxiety was associated only with their own suppression of anger. These findings suggest older men may be especially vulnerable to both enacted and received anger dynamics in close relationships. The study highlights the link between emotional communication and psychological health in later-life marriages.