Effects of bereavement on self-perceptions of physical health in elderly widows and widowers

Multiple indices of self-perceived physical health for 212 older widows and widowers, 2 months following the loss of their spouse, were contrasted with the responses of 162 comparison control participants for a comparable period. Although physician visits and hospitalizations were reported to be no more frequent among the bereaved, they did report significantly more recently developed or worsened illnesses, greater use of medications, and poorer health ratings in general. These differences were independent of sex and variation in socioeconomic background. Significant sex differences, although minimal, indicated poorer perceived health among women.