Loss, widowhood, and psychological distress among the elderly

Psychological response to recent nonspousal familial loss was examined in a sample of elderly men and women (N = 825). Loss was related to a higher level of depressive symptomatology in men, but not women. Both the presence of a spouse and membership in a church or temple moderated the impact of loss on depression among men, such that widowed men who experienced a loss, and men who experienced a loss and did not belong to a church/temple, showed elevated depression scores. Widowed men who experienced recent nonspousal familial loss and did not belong to a church/temple were most depressed of all, with fully 100% of the respondents with these characteristics scoring above the cutpoint for depression established in community studies. Discussion centers on the role of social ties in buffering distress and gender differences in coping with stress. Outreach by churches/temples and other community organizations is suggested as appropriate intervention.