Predictors of psychological reactions during the early stages of widowhood.
In conclusion, this preliminary study of 2-month outcome to spousal bereavement found (1) most widows and widowers had social supports and lack of such supports was not related to outcome; (2) a clinical depressive syndrome was common, and a history of past depressions was associated with poor outcome; (3) more subjects increased alcohol consumption and cigarette use after their loss than decreased their use, but a past history of problems with alcohol was not related to outcome; (4) female, younger, and poorer survivors had the worst outcomes; (5) more disturbed marital relationships correlated highly with poor outcomes; (6) when the deceased spouse died without warning and without a prolonged illness, the survivor was more apt to have a difficult adjustment; and (7) the continued presence of active grief was associated with increased levels of anxiety, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, and depression. Finally, the results of the study show that self-rated overall adjustment is highly correlated with other, standardized psychometric scale scores as well as with grief-specific affects. Assessing global adjustment may, therefore, be a simple, time-efficient, yet meaningful area of inquiry in clinical situations. This is the first in a series of studies on this widowed population. Future reports will focus on other dimensions of widowhood, changes over long-term follow-up, and the validity and reliability of the Widowhood Questionnaire.
Zisook
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Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego.
Shuchter
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SR
Lyons
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003643:Death; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012847:Single Person / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support