PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Widowed”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Remarriage patterns among recent widows and widowers.

Remarriage is one of the most important determinants of physical and economic well-being among the widowed. The goal of this study is to estimate how hazard rates for remarriage vary among widows and widowers on the basis of both observable and unobservable characteristics. The remarriage estimates rely on nationally representative samples of widows and widowers from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Continuous-time hazard rate regressions indicate strong age and duration dependence effects for middle-aged widows and widowers and for older widowers. Among middle-aged widows, blacks and those with dependent children in the home have lower rates of remarriage. For middle-aged widowers, living in urbanized areas limits the prospects of remarriage. For older widowers, education and, to some extent, economic status appear to have positive effects on the remarriage rates. Overall, age and time since widowhood have the strongest and most consistent effects on remarriage rates for different widowed groups.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Predictors of health-related quality of life perspectives, self-esteem, and life satisfactions of older adults following spousal loss: an 18-month follow-up study of widows and widowers.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The overall purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between widowed persons' baseline assessments of self-efficacy beliefs and their ratings of perceived health-related quality of life, life satisfactions, and self-esteem obtained in an 18-month follow-up. DESIGN AND METHOD: At Time 1, a survey of sociodemographics, a multidimensional measure of global self-efficacy, and a domain-specific measure of self-efficacy, having eight subscales of self-efficacy (interpersonal, instrumental, emotional, social support, nutritional, physical, financial, and spiritual) were administered to a group of 231 widows and widowers to obtain baseline assessments of their self-efficacy beliefs. At Time 2, a follow-up of 211 widows and widowers was conducted to obtain their perceptions of health-related quality of life, life satisfactions, and levels of self-esteem 24 months following spousal loss and to assess whether self-efficacy beliefs play a predictive role in widowed individuals' perceptions of their health-related quality of life, life satisfactions, and self-esteem. RESULTS: A series of gender-specific multiple regression analyses models revealed that widows and widowers differ significantly with respect to the relationship between specific domains of self-efficacy and their perceived quality of life in the longer term following spousal loss. IMPLICATIONS: Implications of the findings are discussed for clinicians and health professionals working with bereaved spouses in terms of intervention programs for retraining of self-efficacy.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Aging widows and widowers: are there mental health differences?

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin resigned shortly after the death of his wife. A classic portrait of the grieving widower, his despondency did not surprise mental health professionals. One psychiatrist explained that "Women take bereavement better than men because the widow keeps her domain" while the widower tends to become disoriented. This article examines the perception that men, specifically aging men, are more emotionally distressed than aging women by their spouse's death. A literature review reveals little evidence from behavioral or psychological studies to support the perception, along with mixed evidence of higher male mortality rates in some age groups. Data from a random probability community mental health survey are presented. Prevalence rates for the bereaved are significantly greater than are married rates for only one of the five measures of mental disorders. Widows report significantly more overall distress and depression, but these differences disappear when gender is examined, along with other sociodemographic variables in regression analyses. Clearly, these findings and those from studies of elders, do not support the perception that aging widowers experience more emotional problems during bereavement than do aging widows. Perceptions and mental health policies should be revised to reflect the reality of more similarities than differences among aging widows and widowers.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Differences in the morale of older, rural widows and widowers.

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of sex differences on the morale of older widowed individuals. It was hypothesized that when the direct and indirect effects of several background and intervening variables were isolated, sex would have a significant association with morale and that widowers would be more adversely affected. The sample (N = 257) included rural widows and widowers aged sixty-five to ninety-four years who were selected by a compact cluster sampling technique. Sex of respondent was not found to affect morale; however, perceived financial status and self-rated health had significant direct effects. Widows and widowers reporting higher morale were those who had higher perceived financial status and rated their health as good. Education had a significant positive effect on morale via health and financial status. Economic and physical resources appear to be more influential determinants of the widowed older adults' morale than sex differences.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Historical trends of survival among widows and widowers.

One of the most consistent findings in social demography is that recently widowed individuals, male or female, have higher rates of mortality than comparable married persons. These results are based generally on contemporary studies in developed nations where life expectancy is high. Because of data limitations, there are few studies available to determine whether these findings also occur when mortality rates were higher. This study uses the Utah Population Database that was developed from extensive family genealogies and now linked to Utah death certificates. These data make it possible to employ life course analysis of four marriage cohorts extending from 1860 through 1904 with mortality follow-up to 1990. This approach is used to compare mortality risks of widowed males and females relative to comparable married individuals. Covariates included in the study are remarriage, as well as religion and number of children ever born; these are all hypothesized to have protective effects on mortality risks for widowed men and women. Analysis of these data indicates that there are significant differences in the mortality risk for widowed men and women, and it is widowed men who have an excess risk of dying in every cohort and nearly every age. A consistent pattern of excess mortality in the comparison of married and widowed women was not observed. There are significant female and male differences in the effect of religion which was treated as a proxy for life style and social support: however, remarriage as a proxy for social support has similar protective effects on the surviving spouse.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Anticipatory grief and aged widows and widowers.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the preventive value of anticipatory grief on the medical adjustment of the aged bereaved. Data were collected for 81 surviving widows and widowers 6 mo. after their loss. Sixteen of the bereaved had spouses who died of a chronic illness. These two groups were compared on three criteria of medical adjustment: physician office visits, feeling ill without contacting a physician, and use of psychotropic medications. The data indicated that the aged bereaved of a lengthy chronic fatal illness did worse than the bereaved of a shorter chronic illness death. By sex, no significant differences were found between widows and widowers of a short-term illness death. However, differences were noted for the chronic illness category, and within this category for length of chronicity. In both cases widowers showed more medical problems than widows.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

[Support and counseling ease grief. An intervention project for recently bereaved elderly widows and widowers in Gothenburg].

Bereavement counselling at one, three and twelve months after bereavement was offered to a consecutive series of 50 newly widowed elderly Swedish citizens. House calls by a nurse were the most appreciated form of non-familial support. The nurse performed semi-structured, longitudinal interviews covering medical, psychological and socio-economic aspects of widowhood. The compliance rate was high (80 per cent), and the multidisciplinary examinations yielded an abundance of information suggesting, for example, that there was no increase in morbidity or mortality during the support period. Widow-to-widow groups were successfully established to provide help to self-help for other widows and widowers outside the project. The participants are to be reinvestigated after a further five years, to evaluate the longitudinal effects of early bereavement intervention.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Sexuality of widows: a study of the sexual practices of widows during the first fourteen months of bereavement.

The sexual adjustment of 31 Caucasian women, ages 30-62, widowed less than 14 months was assessed using a structural interview. The relationship between the frequencies of autostimulation, coitus, sexual desire and other selected variables was analyzed. Results showed that the sexual identity and experience of each individual widow; circumstances surrounding the death of the husband, particularly whether the death was sudden or delayed; the widow's age; overall sexual satisfaction and intimacy within the marriage, as opposed to ambivalence toward the relationship; and the degree and kind of attachment to the deceased spouse; seem to be significantly associated with the sexual desires and activities of widows during the first 14 months of bereavement.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Social support and depression in widows and widowers.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationships between social support and depression and the amount of social support used by 31 widows and 35 widowers. Participants completed the Personal Resource Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and a demographic questionnaire. A significant negative relationship was observed between perceived social support and depression. There was no difference in the amount of depression experienced by widows and widowers. There were no significant differences in the two groups' perceptions of support received from their environment or in the number of supportive contacts identified in their social networks.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Appraisals of bereavement, coping, resources, and psychosocial health dysfunction in widows and widowers.

The purpose of the study was to test a model, based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) stress-coping framework, on widowed persons' psychosocial health dysfunction after conjugal bereavement. Older widows (n = 100) and widowers (n = 59) were identified through church burial records and interviewed using the Ways of Coping Checklist, Sickness Impact Profile, and questionnaires to assess appraisal of bereavement and resources. Path analysis indicated that lower threat appraisal, more problem-focused and less emotion-focused coping, greater resource strength, and younger age had direct effects on reducing psychosocial health dysfunction, explaining 30% of the variance. Higher threat appraisal influenced the use of more problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies. Greater resource strength directly influenced lower threat appraisal. Sex and type of death affected psychosocial health dysfunction through their effect on resource strength.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Effects of bereavement on indicators of mental health in elderly widows and widowers.

The effects of bereavement on self-report measures of psychological distress were evaluated in widows and widowers at approximately 2 months after the death of a spouse. These data represent the first time of measurement in an ongoing longitudinal study of conjugal bereavement in elders. Responses of 95 male and 104 female elderly bereaved on measures of grief, depression, global severity of psychological distress, and general mental health functioning were compared with those of 79 male and female elderly individuals who were not currently suffering from the loss of a spouse. In general, means for the bereaved group were not in ranges consistent with the presence of serious psychopathology. Women in both groups reported greater distress than men, and significant sex-by-bereavement-status interactions on mental health measures were not observed.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Effects of bereavement on self-perceptions of physical health in elderly widows and widowers.

Multiple indices of self-perceived physical health for 212 older widows and widowers, 2 months following the loss of their spouse, were contrasted with the responses of 162 comparison control participants for a comparable period. Although physician visits and hospitalizations were reported to be no more frequent among the bereaved, they did report significantly more recently developed or worsened illnesses, greater use of medications, and poorer health ratings in general. These differences were independent of sex and variation in socioeconomic background. Significant sex differences, although minimal, indicated poorer perceived health among women.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

The impact of self-help groups on the mental health of widows and widowers.

Thirty-six widowers and 466 widows were studied over a one-year period to determine the impact of self-help groups on their mental health. Participants were compared to similarly bereaved psychotherapy patients as well as to those who sought no formal help. Significant positive changes were found to have occurred only for those who participated actively in the self-help groups.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of the survivor and dependent children law on social security of widows and widowers and distribution of pensions].

The article takes up the discussion about the individual social security of spouses in Germany and describes some effects of German legislation which went into effect in 1986 and regulates the social security of surviving dependents and requires declaration of child-care provision by pensioners (the so-called "Hinterbliebenen- und Erziehungszeitengesetz"). The primary question is, what effect the most current family income has on the individual replacement rate for widows and widowers. What additional information is needed to record the distributional effects of the act is also discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Filing of applications and requirements for widow's and widower's benefits. Final rule.

We are revising one of our regulations to clarify that we will protect a title II claimant's filing date as of the date the claimant or other proper applicant on the claimant's behalf completes and transmits to the Social Security Administration (SSA) the Personal Information Identification data on the Internet Social Security Benefit Application (ISBA). This revision addresses an aspect of implementing the ISBA to provide certain rights to Internet filers that we afford to other filers. In addition, we are correcting one word in a different title II regulation. The revision is necessary to correctly reflect the circumstances under which a claimant for widow's or widower's benefits as the insured person's surviving divorced spouse would be considered "unmarried."

Electronic Data Processing↗
PubMed1998

[Factors influencing grief due to bereavement among elderly widows and widowers].

OBJECTIVES: To identify the factors that influence the grief of bereaved elderly people due to the death of a spouse. METHOD: Subjects consisted of 172 widows and widowers (137 females, 35 males) aged 60 or older who experienced bereavement of a spouse in the last three years. Between August 1994 and October 1996, the subjects were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and data was also obtained from self-report measures which were returned by mail. A questionnaire consisting of 26 items was prepared based on the theories of Parkes and Deeken. These responses were classified into 4 categories (sensory paralysis, deep attachment and protest, disintegration, reconstruction) and analysis was made by these categories. The time course of the grief was evaluated at 1 week, 49 days and 1 year after the death of the spouse and the time of survey. RESULTS: (1) Of the 172 subjects, general health was graded as poor or slightly poor in 33.6%, 67.4% cared for their spouse during medical treatment; and the average GDS depression score was 5.85 (SD = 3.50). (2) With respect to anticipated grief, while their spouses were under medical treatment, more than 50% of the subjects were thinking "I will do Whatever I can to cope". (3) Change in grief response over time: For "sensory paralysis", "I have done whatever I can" rated the highest at 3 points or more on a scale of 4, from immediately after the spouse's death to the present. For "deep attachment and protest", deep attachment including "always thinking of the lost one" marked higher (3.4 points immediately after death to 2.9 at present) than protest. For "disintegration", "nobody understands what I feel" rated the highest (2.6-2.9 points). For "reconstruction", the subjects gradually accepted the death as "unavoidable" and had started to adapt. (4) Factors that significantly influenced grief were the subject's health condition, whether the subject had been notified of the name of the disease or given a prognosis; whether subject provided care for the spouse and GDS depression score. CONCLUSION: Sufficient anticipated grief resulted in a feeling of achievement in the sensory paralysis aspect of the grief response and in a long lasting feeling of deep attachment as loneliness and solitude. Disintegration was largely related to depression according to GDS score. Grief was less deeply felt when the subject was healthy, had been informed of the name of the spouse's disease, and had cared for the spouse during medical treatment before bereavement.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Widow and widower remarriage: an analysis in a rural 19th century Costa Rican population and a cross-cultural discussion.

Although the topic of remarriage features saliently in the cultural anthropological literature, it is virtually absent in the biological anthropology journals. This is perplexing, given that remarriage affects the differential reproductive success of males and females in a community, and could well impact a community's population structure. In this paper, we research remarriage practices in a rural 19th century community in Costa Rica. Although we find support for the proposition that males are more likely to remarry than females, we find that widows who remarry are not all young and able to reproduce. Our findings support the cross-culturally-generated suggestion that a female's ability not to remarry is tied to her to ability to own property. Remarriage is a topic of interest to biological anthropologists from a cross-cultural and biocultural perspective.

Age Factors↗