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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Theories on coping with loss
— the impact of social support and self-esteem on adjustment to emotional and social loneliness following a partner's death in later life | | Author(s) | Berna van Baarsen |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 57B, no 1, January 2002 |
| Pages | pp S33-S42 |
| Keywords | Bereavement ; Self esteem ; Adjustment ; Loneliness ; Personal relationships ; Theory ; Netherlands. |
| Annotation | In a Dutch longitudinal study on the role of self-esteem and social support in adjustment to loneliness experienced by bereaved older people, 101 participants aged 55 to 89 were interviewed before and after their partners' deaths. The study also examined the contribution of general and specific coping theory in explaining loneliness. A distinction has been made between emotional and social loneliness or perceived support. The theory of mental incongruity predicts that the presence of more favourable conditions - such as high self-esteem or more social support - results in less loneliness. According to the theory of relational loneliness, the partner's death leads to a loss of identity, thus increasing emotional loneliness, and social support does not mitigate emotional loneliness following a loss. Findings were ambiguous with regard to both theories. As hypothesised, partner loss lowered self-esteem, resulting in higher emotional and social loneliness, that is, perception of less support. Supportive personal relations reduced emotional loneliness. The presence of close friends, however, seemed to increase emotional and social loneliness in the long term, particularly among those participants with lower self-esteem. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-020305219 A |
| Classmark | DW: DPA: DR: DV: DS: 4D: 76H |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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