Spousal loss in late life: A 1-year follow-up of perceived changes in life meaning and psychosocial functioning following bereavement

Abstract

Ninety-two elderly men and women were participants in two separate but related phases of a study designed to investigate the multidimensional nature of elderly persons' grief reactions following spousal loss. At Time 1 (4 months after spousal death) and at Time 2 (12 months after spousal death), 92 and 78 participants, respectively, responded to an open-ended questionnaire asking for a brief description of grief reactions to spousal loss as experienced in personal meanings, psychosocial behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. In addition, at Time 2, 27 participants agreed to an in-depth interview in which they were encouraged to trace their recovery process and to talk about their transition and adaptation to widow(er)hood. Two separate principal-components factor analyses were conducted on the questionnaire data drawn from 92 individuals at Time 1 and 78 individuals at Time 2. The data from the in-depth interviews were analyzed by means of a qualitative approach. At Time 1, the factor analysis results showed the emergence of four factors that accounted for 21%, 16.2%, 10.6%, and 5.7% of the total variance. Similarly, at Time 2, the factor analysis results showed the emergence of three factors that accounted for 10%, 10.9%, and 7.2% of the total variance. In addition, participants' detailed interview accounts of their recovery and adaptations to widow(er)hood provided further confirmation of their positive gains in personal meanings, self-discovery, and social autonomy. These results suggest that some positive changes are associated with the transition and adjustment to widow(er)hood and that the grief of spousal loss itself may serve as an impetus for personal growth in late life.