Life after loss: cognitive differences by gender and age following widowhood or divorce transitions

There is a rich literature documenting the often deleterious impact of widowhood and divorce on health. Widowed and divorced older adults report a higher incidence of chronic illness, more comorbidities, and are at greater risk of premature mortality. However, the association between the transition from married to widowed or divorced and subsequent cognitive function is not as well understood. This study examined within-person differences in cognition during the first 2 years after becoming widowed or divorced, and whether the patterns varied in middle age and older adulthood for men and women.

Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2018), multilevel models using person-mean centering were employed to estimate within-person associations between widowhood and divorce transitions and changes in cognitive function, respectively. Within-person measurement provided a nuanced and contextually relevant examination of how marital transitions impact cognitive function based on gender and age.

The transition to widowhood was associated with differences in cognitive function for women. Women widowed during midlife exhibited lower cognitive function scores than when married. Women who were widowed in older adulthood had higher cognitive function scores than when married. Widowhood transitions were unrelated to cognitive function for men, and divorce transitions were unrelated to changes in cognitive function for men or women.

These results highlight the heterogeneity in the association between marital transitions and cognitive function, which varies by gender, life stage, and type of marital dissolution.