Widowhood: Some Common Myths

Widowhood: Some Common Myths

WASHINGTON, DC --- The loss of a spouse is able to experience the most stressful events a person. But most older people are resilient and recover to previous levels of physical and mental health after their loss of 18 months of a new pain study at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR) The greatest scholars worldwide survey and research organization.

The research also provides the widespread conviction that the sudden death of a spouse is difficult for the surviving partner died in the finding as I expected for older men, especially sudden death of their women is actually easier to treat psychologically after a long illness.

In addition, new findings refute the long-standing doctrine of psychologists and counselors marriage bonds grief --- conflict and unhappy for a survivor spouses feel guilty, is likely to mourn. Instead, the research confirms common sense that the marital relationship was the depressed surviving spouse is likely.

The research, part of which is presented here, 31 show in March at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, is part of an ongoing analysis of the data from the ISR Changing Lives study groups for older women, study prospective randomized community-based sample of 1532 men and women married 65 years, began in 1987 Further results of the study will be published later this year in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. The analysis of the National Institute on Aging.

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

"Collection of data before the spouse's death allows us to recall bias, both positive and negative to avoid," says sociologist Deborah Carr. "Some people can just say anything negative about a deceased spouse." Oh, I have not a drop to drink. "" He was a saint. "Other people so depressed, its colors the current mood to judge the quality of their marriage. Logged things much worse than they were."

Carr found that more men and women were to be the relationship after the death of his wife depressed tamer likely. It was also found that spouses who were better than those measured by the property to survive, were probably more depressed than their peers who live in apartments or houses. "Those who are homeowners may get worse, because they have the added pressure of the care of the house," speculates Carr. "You can become socially isolated, lonely, and even fear of living in a house, compared to surviving spouses who live in nearby apartments and neighbors."

In addition, we have found that widows who were heavily dependent on their husbands for men and stereotyped tasks such as managing repairs and financial services firm, were at greater risk of anxiety as widows. "These results point to a changing landscape of grief among older couples," Carr notes that "a more equitable division of labor make women less dependent on their husbands home repair and financial management, and couples are more likely to dissolve the marriage and unsatisfactory Remember joints with higher marital satisfaction. "

Carr also examined whether the warning of the death of an interested party, the risk of heart disease and psychological adaptation of survivors at six and 18 months after the loss of a spouse. In general it was found that almost a third of widowed no warning before the death of the spouse, while another third reported more than six months earlier. The average warning time was five years and six months.

In the analysis of Carr controlled for physical and mental health of the widow before the spouse's death, the time knew the victim, that the spouse was dying, whether the defendant was the attention to a deceased spouse if the spouse dies and was nursing home . They also compared how widows and widowers was made in comparison with corresponding who is not their spouse had lost control.

It was found that longer available (six months), significantly increases the likelihood of men reported heart problems six months after the death of his spouse. But 18 months after the death of their wives, men's health, as measured by heart problems, recovered to previous levels.

Carr also found that sudden death was emotionally painful for women than for men. "The people cope better when the death of their wives are quick and unexpected," she said, "while the women cope better when the death of their husbands come after a period of warning. Believe that is because anyway for this cohort --- Parents of Baby Boomer Women --- used to the role of carers and they have stressful., but to find men. "

Carr also points out that men and women often have different types of relationships. "Women can can call friends to a support during the long process and widowhood," she said, "so that people can withdraw from others and seek proximity and women who die."

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

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

--- The University of Michigan

Return to the Science of Mental Health

Articles in Science of Mental Health are written by the institution. This article was posted Newswise. Newswise maintains a comprehensive database of news releases from the major medical institutions, dedicated to the liberal arts and scientific research. The friendly interface allows you to search or download any article or abstract.