Stress process researchers note that people actively seek to alter the impact of stressful life events through various coping mechanisms. Spousal bereavement sometimes requires individuals to revise their assumptions about the world and themselves. Meaning-making, comprising the dual processes of searching for and finding meaning, may be employed to alleviate symptoms of grief following spousal bereavement. The current study uses multilevel modeling to examine the influence of searching for and finding meaning on individual growth trajectories of psychological distress using data from 764 widows and widowers from a nationally representative longitudinal study. Results indicate that searching for meaning after spousal loss may be a double-edged sword: it is beneficial when meaning is found, but harmful when meaning remains elusive. Widows and widowers who searched for but did not find meaning exhibited the highest initial levels of psychological distress, but they also had slightly faster declines in psychological distress, becoming more similar to other meaning-making groups over time.

The terms “stress” or “stressor” usually refer to situations, demands, or burdens that require individuals to adapt their behavior, while stress response is the heightened bodily reaction to perceived stress. As stress accumulates, individuals’ abilities to cope can become overtaxed, depleting mind–body resources and increasing the probability of poor health. Stress outcomes of concern to health researchers span the realms of mental health, physical health and functioning, mortality, and biomarkers. Research shows that the impact of stress is large, affecting body chemistry, the functioning of organ systems, mental and physical health, and ultimately risk for mortality.