Relationship of Previous Divorce and Previous Widowhood to Older Women's Adjustment to Recent Widowhood

Abstract

The present study examined the adjustment of recent widows, relative to their experiences with the loss of a previous marriage. It was expected that widows with such previous experience would show greater adjustment on factors of psychological, economic, and environmental well-being. Interviews were conducted with 290 widows, age 60+, approximately 1 1/2 years after the husband's death. Thirty of the recent widows had been previously divorced, 22 had been previously widowed, and 238 had been married only once. The groups did not differ on psychological well-being: however, both economic factors and environmental factors revealed significant group differences. In general, women with previous experience with either widowhood or divorce showed better adaptation and self-sufficiency than women without such experience.