No abstract

No abstract

Widows (n = 78) and widowers (n = 41) were interviewed 13-16 months after they were widowed. An 8-item self-report measure of adjustment-depression was developed. The married were significantly better adjusted than the widowed. Widowers were significantly better adjusted than widows. The superior adjustment of widowers held up when controlled for income, amount of forewarning, education, and age. After sex, the second main predictor of adjustment was the amount of forewarning about the spouse's death, although this was a factor only for widows. Forewarning was especially important when there had been some period of unhappiness in the marriage or when the patient had experienced prolonged and serious suffering. Age and education were positively related to adjustment, especially for widows. The widowed who lived alone or with dependent children were better adjusted than those who lived with independent children. The results suggest that counselors in a medical setting are well advised to give special attention to the importance of anticipatory grief in women. Counselors might also encourage follow-up visits by physicians or local clergy, as the present study revealed that 25% of the widowed were still depressed after 1 year.

Widows (n = 78) and widowers (n = 41) whose spouses died at a midwest suburban hospital were interviewed thirteen to sixteen months after they were widowed. An 8–item self-report measure of adjustment-depression was developed. The article discusses the factors related to adjustment, the problems faced by the widowed during the first year of bereavement, those who helped the most during the final hospitalization and during bereavement, and finally some practical considerations for those who are concerned with the problems of the widowed. Key results showed that adjustment was more difficult for widows than for widowers, that anticipatory grief was an important factor in the adjustment of widows, and that follow-up visits by physicians and local clergy were helpful to the widowed, 25 per cent of whom were still depressed after one year.

A quantitative approach was used to identify factors relating to emotional adjustment in 84 dying patients. Eleven hospital chaplains collected data by interviewing dying patients. Results indicate that emotional adjustment to the awareness of a limited life expectancy was not related principally to religious orientation, although this was an important factor. Emotional adjustment was influenced more by the patient's physical condition (level of discomfort), by previous experiences with dying persons, and by interpersonal relationships. The most important aspect of the religious variable was the quality of religious orientation rather than mere religious affiliation or verbal acceptance of religious beliefs.