Interaction of depression and bereavement on mental health in the elderly.
Three hundred ninety-three elderly adults aged 55 and older were divided into 1 of 9 subgroups in a 3 (bereavement group: survivors of spouses who died by natural death or by suicide and nonbereaved control Ss) x 3 (depression group: none, mild, and moderate-severe) design over 4 times of measurement--1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 2.5 years after death of spouse. Significant Bereavement x Depression Group effects were obtained on Brief Symptom Inventory scores. The moderate-severe depression/suicide subgroup had the greatest psychiatric complications with bereavement. Results indicated that elderly persons with significant clinical depression at the time of a spouse's death were at significant risk for psychological complications during the bereavement process, and survivors of spouses who had committed suicide were even more at risk within the greatest depression group.
Gilewski
M J
MJ
Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, Los Angeles, California.
Farberow
N L
NL
Gallagher
D E
DE
Thompson
L W
LW
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology