Spousal bereavement in older adults: common, resilient, and chronic grief with defining characteristics

The purpose of this study was to identify empirically patterns of grief among 141 older bereaved spouses. A longitudinal hierarchical cluster procedure with the Ward agglomeration method was used to identify distinct clusters based on grief scores. Three clusters were identified: common (49%), resilient (34%), and chronic (17%) grief. Members of the common grief cluster experienced elevated levels of grief and depressive symptoms that decreased over time. Members of the resilient cluster experienced the lowest levels of grief and depression and the highest quality of life. The chronic grief cluster experienced the highest levels of grief and depression, more sudden deaths, the lowest self-esteem, and the highest marital dependency. The majority in this chronic cluster also met proposed criteria for a diagnosis of complicated grief. Five out of every six bereaved spouses adjusted well over time, and about a third of these showed considerable resilience without negative consequences. One out of six experienced a chronic grief syndrome. Early identification of this syndrome can lead to referral to newly emergent treatments specific for grief.