Early parental loss and personal control in later life

There has been a considerable amount of research on the impact of early parental loss on children and younger adults, but far fewer studies have examined whether the effects of this early traumatic event extend into late life as well. The purpose of this research was to see whether early parental loss is associated with diminished feelings of personal control among older adults who participated in a nationwide survey (N = 519). In the process of examining this relationship, a conceptual model was developed and tested to attempt to explain why early loss may exert this effect. This model tests the following theoretical sequence. First, it is hypothesized that early parental loss is associated with lower levels of educational attainment and that people with limited schooling are more likely to encounter financial problems in later life. Finally, this model predicts that greater financial strain is in turn associated with diminished feelings of personal control among older adults. Subsequent analyses of this model provide empirical support for these theoretical linkages.