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Published on: April 17, 2021
Matters of the heart: Grief, morbidity, and mortality
Christopher P Fagundes1,2,3, E Lydia Wu1
1Rice University, Houston, TX.
Insights
Spousal bereavement increases health risks. Research shows widows and widowers experience changes in autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune systems, alongside poorer health behaviors, impacting recovery.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Spousal bereavement is linked to increased morbidity and mortality.
- Understanding the biopsychosocial factors behind elevated health risks in widow(er)s is crucial.
- Existing research highlights maladaptive physiological responses and behavioral changes post-loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on the biopsychosocial processes affecting physical health after spousal loss.
- To examine individual differences in adjustment trajectories and their link to physical health risks.
- To highlight the need for a biopsychosocial approach and attachment theory in understanding post-loss health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of multidisciplinary research, including the authors' own work.
- Analysis of autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune activity patterns in widow(er)s.
- Examination of health behaviors and psychological adjustment trajectories post-bereavement.
Main Results:
- Widow(er)s, on average, show maladaptive autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune activity compared to controls.
- Individuals often exhibit poorer health behaviors after the death of a spouse.
- Significant variation exists in psychological adjustment and corresponding physical health risk trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Attachment theory can characterize and predict individual differences in physical health biomarkers.
- A biopsychosocial approach is essential for understanding post-loss trajectory patterns.
- Early identification of adjustment trajectories can facilitate timely interventions for improved health outcomes.
Abstract:
Spousal bereavement is associated with an elevated risk of morbidity and mortality. Several well-regarded multidisciplinary research teams have sought to understand the biopsychosocial processes underlying why widow(er)s are at elevated physical health risk. In this paper, we review research from multiple investigatory teams, including our own, showing that, on average, widow(er)s exhibit maladaptive patterns of autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune activity compared to matched comparisons. Widow(er)s also exhibit poorer health behaviors than they did before their spouse's death. There is considerable variation in post-loss psychological adjustment trajectories among widow(er)s, which likely corresponds to physical health risk trajectories. Yet, there is little biobehavioral research on patterns of change in physical health risk after the death of a spouse. We summarize recently published work demonstrating the utility of attachment theory to characterize and predict individual differences in physical health biomarkers; we highlight the need for a biopsychosocial approach to understand and characterize post-loss trajectory patterns. We conclude by discussing the possibility that this line of inquiry could help researchers, and ultimately providers, identify adjustment trajectories earlier and thus deliver appropriate interventions when they are most needed.
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