Losing An Aged Relative: Perceptual Differences between Spouses and Adult Children

Abstract

Research on bereavement primarily focuses on conjugal loss; few studies examine differences between losing a spouse and losing an aged parent. The present investigation compares perceptions of nineteen bereaved spouses with forty-seven bereaved adult children in order to specify differences between conjugal and parental loss. Data from two larger surveys of family caregivers show spouses feel their physical and emotional health has been more negatively affected by the death, yet report increased participation in social activities. Adult children are more likely to discuss dying with an ill parent, although little difference occurs in other preparations. Differences between spouses and children also are found in the appraised difficulty of the death and in the number of peripheral sources of support, and in the likelihood of receiving assistance from friends and neighbors.