Psychosocial Factors Affecting Adaptation to Bereavement in the Elderly

Abstract

A spouse's death requires more readjustment on the part of the bereaved than any other stressful life event. This finding holds across the many age groups and cultural backgrounds that have been studied. Although it is unclear as to whether the stress of bereavement is greater for women than for men, for the young than for the old, for one socioeconomic level or for another, a critical review of the literature suggests the following: 1) Negative changes in physical health, mortality rate and mental health status usually accompany widowhood; 2) Complex social-psychological variables such as the individual's characteristic ways of coping with stress (coping strength), the adequacy of the social network — plus other factors such as income and religious commitment — may attenuate widowhood's negative impact. Suggestions for further research include studies exploring differential adaptation to widowhood across age groups and in elderly men and women, and longitudinal studies tracing the process of recovery from acute grief.