Spousal death, a threat to women's health: paid work as a "resistance resource"

This study examined the paid work role as a predictor of widows' health during conjugal bereavement. The sample of widows aged 55-75 bereaved for two years prior to the study (N = 157) was identified through recorded death certificates as the surviving spouses of deceased men. Work history and work attitude were statistically significant predictors of health during bereavement.