Widowhood: Some Common Myths

Widowhood: Some Common Myths

WASHINGTON, DC --- The loss of a spouse is one of the most stressful events a person can experience. But most older people are resilient and recover to previous levels of physical and mental health within 18 months after their loss, according to a new study on mourning the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR) collection and largest academic research organization world.

The research also provides the widespread conviction that the sudden death of a spouse is more difficult than the surviving partner died a long time ago, when you consider that for, especially older men sudden death of his wife is actually more simple, psychologically after a long illness to treat.

In addition, new results showed a long-standing doctrine of psychologists and grief counselors --- the most unfortunate conflict and the marital relationship, the surviving spouse feel guilty a complaint. Instead, the research confirms the view of common sense that the more a marriage relationship was more depressed, the surviving spouse is likely to be.

The research, some of which are presented here show March 31 at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, is part of an ongoing analysis of data from ISR Changing Lives Endowed study women, a prospective community-based study, a random sample of 1532 men and women aged 65 and married, began in 1987 Further results of the study will be published later this year in the Journal of Gerontology. Social sciences. The analysis was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

Over the years, researchers have followed the death of the participants, followed by interviews with the surviving spouse of six months, 18 months and four years after their losses. Even members of the couples in the study who had not lost a spouse, then identifies the old widows and widowers are still in the key demographic variables such as income, education, health, and married again checked. More detailed information on the physical and mental health before and after the death of a spouse obtain individual data, the study provides information on the quality of marital relations information.

"The collection of data before the death of a spouse can we avoid recall bias on positive and negative," says sociologist Deborah Carr "Some people just can not say anything negative about a deceased spouse." Oh, not a drop to drink. "He was a saint." Other people are so depressed, the colors of his current state of mind of their evaluation of the quality of their marriage. remember things are much worse than it really is. "

Carr noted that most of the marital relationship, men and depressed women more after the death of their spouse. Also found that survivors who were better measured as of property were more depressed than their peers who live in apartments or houses. "Those who own a home it can get worse than they have the added pressure of taking care of the house," speculates Carr. "They may be more socially isolated, lonely, and even afraid to live in a home, compared to spouses who live in apartments and neighbors near the survivors."

In addition, we have found that widows who are heavily dependent on their husbands for men and stereotyped tasks such as repairing the financial management and at home, are at increased risk for anxiety than widows. "These results suggest a makeover for bereavement in older couples," says Carr, "as the most egalitarian division of labor make women less dependent on their husbands for repair and financial management, and couples are more likely to resolve with higher marital satisfaction and remain in unsatisfactory marriages unions. "

Carr also examined whether the warning of the death of an interested party, the risk of heart disease and psychological adjustment of survivors at six and 18 months after the loss of a spouse. In general, it was found that almost a third of the widow it has no notice of the death of their spouse, while another third reported cancel more than six months. The average warning time was five to six months.

In the analysis of Carr controlled for physical and mental health of the widow before the death of a spouse, would the time that the victim knew die the man if the respondent provides care to die, spouse, and the spouse of the death care of their house. She has to do so compared to how widows and widowers, compared with control subjects who had not lost their spouse.

It was found that the extended notification (over six months), the probability of men reported significantly increased, heart problems six months after the death of a spouse. But 18 months after the death of his wife, men's health, as measured by heart problems, recovered to previous levels.

Carr also noted that sudden death is emotionally painful for women than for men. "Men cope better when the death of their wives are quick and unexpected," she said, "while women are more familiar than the death of her husband after a period of warning. Believe that, because for this cohort anyway --- parents of the baby boomers --- Women employed on the role of carers and is not stressful.'s men. "

Carr also notes that men and women often have different types of relationships. "Women can have friends who support during the long process and widowhood come," she said, "so that men to take another close pursuit of their wives die."

The results, he says, have an impact on the professionals involved with men and older women, and friends and family of the deceased. "It is important to recognize that sudden death is not necessarily for men and women manage more than death comes slowly more and more difficult," says Carr, "But it is also important to note that as stressful as the death of a spouse, the most women and older men and can not be restored, both emotionally and physically. "

Employees are researchers from the UM Carr James S. House, Randolph M. Nesse, and Camille Wortman John Sonnega, all of the Institute for Social Research, and a researcher at Harvard University Ronald C. Kessler.

--- The University of Michigan

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