A longitudinal study of wellbeing in widowed women

Changes in mental and physical health, morale and social functioning were assessed in a random sample of elderly women widowed during the course of an 8-year study, compared with never-married and still-married controls. The sample as a whole showed age-related declines in mental and physical health. As a function of ageing there were increases in personal disturbance and in physical health problems and declines in both morale and social engagement. However, over and above these age-related changes the windows showed significant changes in mental health. There were decreases in morale after widowhood, followed by slight increases in morale in the longer term. Similarly, there were increases in personal disturbance following widowhood, with slight decreases later. The results confirm that, even after several years, widowhood has differential effects on wellbeing and morale.