Parental bereavement increases mortality in older persons.

Abstract

Studies of the link between parental grief and subsequent morbidity and mortality risks have yielded inconclusive results. We aim to investigate whether the death of a child is related to increased mortality in older parents. Data were drawn from a national survey of a random sample of older Jewish persons in Israel, conducted during 1989-1992. Analyses included 1239 self-respondent community-dwelling and institutionalized participants ages 75-94 years (M = 83.1, SD = 5.3) from the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (CALAS). Mortality data at 20-year follow-up were recorded from the Israeli National Population Registry. Bereaved parents were somewhat older, and were more likely than nonbereaved parents to be women, unmarried, less educated, living alone, and born in the Middle East or North Africa. Bereaved parents were more depressed and functionally limited than were nonbereaved parents, even after controlling for age and gender. The longitudinal analysis showed that parental bereavement was a significant predictor of mortality at 20-year follow-up. The effect of bereavement on mortality persisted after controlling for age, gender, origin, education, and widowhood status. It was more potent for women (mothers) than for men (fathers). Whereas parental bereavement due to war is most frequently discussed in the Israeli context, parental bereavement is mostly associated with disadvantageous socioeconomic situations and life conditions. Contrary to some previous findings, results highlight the hazardous long-term effect of bereavement on mortality.

Risk factors for PTSD of Shidu parents who lost the only child in a rapid aging process: a cross-sectional study

“…Referred to other bereaved studies on the elderly people of different bereavement like spouse and relatives, we found some significant predictors were reported such as the individual difference including gender, peritraumatic, and psychosocial factor, and the characteristic of the dead person [17]. Cohen-Mansfield J et al reported a gender-differential effect of the parental bereavement on 20-year follow-up mortality of older people [18]. Feng Z reported being female, illiterate/ semi-literate, never married, divorced or widowed, and without a pension after retirement were positively associated with poor mental health in the older adults without child [4].…”

“Our Only Child Has Died”—A Study of Bereaved Older Chinese Parents

“…The loss of hope and control made it hard for parents to carry out personal functions in daily activities (Barrera et al, 2007). A more recent study conducted on older Jewish persons in Israel found that bereaved older parents were significantly lonelier and manifested lower levels of cognitive functioning and instrumental activities (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale [IADL]) than did nonbereaved parents (Cohen-Mansfield, Shmotkin, Malkinson, Bartur, & Hazan, 2013). Severe depression has been found to be prevalent among parents who lost their child due to an earthquake (Cao et al, 2013).…”

Which category of lifetime adversity accelerates physical impairment among Israeli older adults?

“…This event, rated as the life transition requiring the most readjustment (Stroebe et al 2007), is associated with higher levels of physical problems and mortality risk (Moon et al 2011). Parental bereavement is also followed by increased physical impairment and mortality, as found in an Israeli national sample of older adults (Cohen-Mansfield et al 2013). Also, parental and grandparental bereavement were associated with a steeper cognitive decline with time (Comijs et al 2011).…”