Life goes on: The influence of the perceived quality of social relations on older women’s mental health after the loss of a partner in Europe

Abstract

The loss of a spouse/partner is a major stressor, undermining one’s mental health, especially in mid-life and old age. Social ties are key moderators of the impact of bereavement, serving to enhance psychological resilience and facilitating social engagement and access to resources. Our aim was to explore the association between depression levels and the interaction between the composition of, and level of satisfaction with, social networks among women who have lost their husband. The study was undertaken from a cross-national perspective, examining women throughout Europe. We used data from the SHARE Survey (sixth wave; N = 6,820). Using linear regression models, we find negative evaluations of social relations influenced the mental health of European widows, mostly when relatives exclusively composed their social network. The perceived quality of that network had more impact on the mental health of older widows in Northern and Western European countries than in their Southern and Eastern counterparts.