The long-term effects of later life spousal and parental bereavement on personal functioning

Abstract

Using data from Americans' Changing Lives: Wave 1, 1986, this study examined the long-term effects on the personal functioning of older women and men following the death of an adult child or a spouse. Guided by Weiss's (1993) theoretical framework, 41 bereaved parents and 143 bereaved spouses were compared to 407 nonbereaved adults on measures of perceived health, self-efficacy, depression, life satisfaction, and future orientation. Analyses revealed bereavement and gender effects and a consistent influence of the sociodemographic characteristics of education, income, and duration of bereavement on functioning.