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Resource or crisis? Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters
Maria Karlene Shawn I Cabaraban1, Valeria Bordone1,2, Daniela Weber2,3
1Department of Sociology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Summary
Widowhood impacts cognitive function differently for men and women, with paid work offering protection for men and retirement benefiting both genders. Homemakers experienced memory decline after widowhood.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Sociology of aging
- Gerontology
Background:
- Widowhood is a significant life event impacting cognitive health.
- Cognitive functioning encompasses crystallized and fluid intelligence.
- Paid work status may influence cognitive resilience post-bereavement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between widowhood and changes in memory recall and verbal fluency.
- To investigate the moderating role of paid work status (working, retirement, homemaking) on gender-specific cognitive changes after spousal loss.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).
- Inclusion of 32,089 men and 40,821 women aged 50+.
- Application of two-way fixed-effects regression models with sub-sample analyses by gender and paid work status.
Main Results:
- Widowhood was associated with cognitive changes, varying by gender and work status.
- Men experienced reduced verbal fluency post-widowhood only if employed.
- Women who were homemakers showed declines in memory recall after widowhood.
Conclusions:
- Paid employment may act as a cognitive resource for men after widowhood.
- Retirement appears to be protective for both men and women experiencing widowhood.
- The protective effects of work status on cognition post-widowhood are gender-dependent.
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