Associations Between Pre-Widowhood Psychological Resilience and Subsequent Depressive Symptom Recovery Following Spousal Loss Among Men and Women.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Most older widowed men and women experience elevated depressive symptoms after spousal loss, and many recover to prewidowhood levels over time. However, not all widows return to preloss mental health, and recovery may differ by gender. Prewidowhood psychological resilience (PR) has been shown to influence these effects. This study evaluates changes in depressive symptoms for older men and women to determine how PR shapes acute and long-term depressive symptom responses to spousal loss.

Research design and methods

Using longitudinal Health and Retirement Study data, we evaluate changes in depressive symptoms from baseline PR prewidowhood to (a) the first study wave in which individuals report widowhood (acute effects) and (b) the second wave after re

SUBMITTER: Chauhan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12086059 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature