Centre for Policy on Ageing



A longitudinal study of wellbeing in widowed women
Author(s)	Kate Mary Bennett
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 12, no 1, January 1997
Pages	pp 61-65
Keywords	Older women ; Widows ; Well being ; Longitudinal surveys ; Nottingham.
Annotation	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 - the Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing (NLSAA) - 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 widows showed significant changes in mental health. There were decreases in morale after widowhood, followed by slight increases 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 well-being and morale.
Accession Number	CPA-970807208 A
Classmark	BD: SP: D:F:5HH: 3J: 8NTF
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.