Living arrangements and well being in elderly women.

Psychosocial and health data were obtained from 50 black and 47 white females age 65 and over. The women were divided according to whether they lived alone, with spouse only, or with persons other than (or in addition to) the spouse. Those living alone were found to have lower life satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and higher social dysfunction than those living with spouse or others. No differences were found with respect to depression, somatization, diet, or activity level. There was a significant interaction effect between race and living arrangement with respect to anxiety, with blacks being less anxious than whites when living with others, and more anxious when living alone or with only a spouse.