Bereavement in very old age: Impact on health and relationships of the loss of a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a close friend

Omega: Journal of Death and Dying

Volumn 60, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 301-325

  D'Epinay, Christian ^a   Cavalli, Stefano ^a   Guillet, Luc ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGED; ARTICLE; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BEREAVEMENT; DAILY LIFE ACTIVITY; DEPRESSION; FAMILY; FEMALE; HEALTH STATUS; HUMAN; HUMAN RELATION; LIFE EVENT; LONGITUDINAL STUDY; MALE; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUESTIONNAIRE; SIBLING; SOCIAL SUPPORT; SPOUSE; SURVIVOR; SWITZERLAND;

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING; AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BEREAVEMENT; DEPRESSION; FAMILY; FEMALE; HEALTH STATUS; HUMANS; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; LIFE CHANGE EVENTS; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES; MALE; QUESTIONNAIRES; SIBLINGS; SOCIAL SUPPORT; SPOUSES; SURVIVORS; SWITZERLAND;

EID: 77949287242     PISSN: 00302228     EISSN: 15413764     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2190/OM.60.4.a     Document Type: Article

References (62)

1. Aldwin, C. (1990). The Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI): Egocentric and nonegocentric stress. In M. A. P. Stephens, S. E. Hobfoll, J. H. Crowther, & D. L. Tennenbaum (Eds.), Stress and coping in late life families (pp. 49-69). New York: Hemisphere.
2. Allan, G. (1979). A sociology of friendship and kinship. London: George Allen & Unwin.
3. Arbuckle, N. W., & de Vries, B. (1995). The long-term effects of later life spousal and parental bereavement on personal functioning. The Gerontologist, 35, 637-647.
4. Bennett, K. M. (1997). Widowhood in elderly women: The medium- and long-term effects on mental and physical health. Mortality, 2, 137-148.
5. Bowling, A., & Windsor, J. (1995). Death after widow(er)hood: An analysis of mortality rates up to 13 years after bereavement. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 31, 35-49.
6. Brubaker, T. (1985). Later life families. Beverly Hills: Sage.
7. Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
8. Carey, R. G. (1979-1980). Weathering widowhood: Problems and adjustment of the widowed during the first year. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 10(2), 163-174.
9. Cicirelli, V. G. (1995). Sibling relationships across the life span. New York: Plenum Press.
10. Cicirelli, V. G. (2001). Sibling relationships. In G. L. Maddox (Ed.), Encyclopedia of aging (3rd ed., pp. 928-930). New York: Springer.
11. Coenen-Huther, J., Kellerhals, J., & Von Allmen, M. (1994). Les réseaux de solidarité dans la famille [Solidarity networks in the family]. Lausanne: Réalités Sociales.
12. Delbès, C., & Gaymu, J. (2000). Du veuvage à l'isolement [From widowhood to isolation]. Gérontologie et Société, 95, 11-26.
13. de Vries, B., Davis, C. G., Wortman, C. B., & Lehman, D. R. (1997). Long-term psychological and somatic consequences of later life parental bereavement. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 35, 97-117.
14. de Vries, B., & Johnson, C. L. (2002). The death of friends in later life. In R. A. Settersten, & T. J. Owens (Eds.), Advances in life course research, Vol. 7: New frontiers in socialization (pp. 299-324). Oxford: Elsevier.
15. de Vries, B., Lehman, A. J., & Arbuckle, N. W. (1995, November). Reactions to the death of a close friend in later life. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Los Angeles.
16. Doka, K. J. (1989). Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow. New York: Lexington Books.
17. Dutton, Y., & Zisook, S. (2005). Adaptation to bereavement. Death Studies, 29(10), 877-903.
18. Elder, G. H. J. (1998). The life course and human development. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development (pp. 939-991). New York: Wiley.
19. Ferraro, K. F., Mutran, E., & Barresi, C. M. (1984). Widowhood, health, and friendship support in later life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 25, 245-259.
20. Fitzpatrick, T. R. (1998). Bereavement events among elderly men: The effects of stress and health. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 17(2), 204-228.
21. Gallagher, D., Breckenridge, J., Thompson, L. W., & Peterson, J. A. (1983). Effects of bereavement on indicators of mental health in elderly widows and widowers. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 565-571.
22. Gallagher, S. K., & Gerstel, N. (1993). Kinkeeping and friend keeping among older women: the effect of marriage. The Gerontologist, 33, 675-681.
23. Groupe "SOL" de l'Université du 3e ege de Genève. (1996). Vivre sans elle. Le veuvage au masculine [To live without it. The widowhood of men]. Genève: Georg.
24. Hansson, R. O., Hayslip, B., & Stroebe, M. S. (2007). Grief and bereavement In J. A. Blackburn, & C. N. Dulmus (Eds.), Handbook of gerontology: Evidence-based approaches to theory, practice, and policy. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
25. Hays, J. C., Gold, D. T., & Pieper, C. F. (1997). Sibling bereavement in late life. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 35(1), 25-42.
26. Johnson, C. L. (1994). Differential expectations and realities: Race, socioeconomic status and health of the oldest old. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 38(1), 13-27.
27. Johnson, C. L., & Barer, B. M. (1997). Life beyond 85 years. The aura of survivorship. New York: Springer.
28. Johnson, C. L., & Catalano, D. J. (1981). Childless elderly and their family support. The Gerontologist, 21(6), 610-618.
29. Kane, R. L., Bell, R., Riegler, S., Wilson, A., & Kane, R. A. (1983). Assessing the outcomes of nursing home patients. Journal of Gerontology, 38(4), 385-393.
30. Katz, S., Downs, T. D., Cash, H. R., & Grotz, R. C. (1970). Progress in development of the index of ADL. The Gerontologist, 10(1), 20-30.
31. Lalive d'Epinay, C. J., Bickel, J.-F., Maystre, C., & Vollenwyder, N. (2000). Vieillesses au fil du temps. 1979-1994: Une révolution tranquille [Old age across the years. 1979-1994: A quiet revolution]. Lausanne: Réalités Sociales.
32. Lalive d'Epinay, C. J., Cavalli, S., & Spini, D. (2003). The death of a loved one: Impact on health and relationships in very old age. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 47(3), 265-284.
33. Lalive d'Epinay, C. J., Christe, E., Coenen-Huther, J., Hagmann, H.-M., Jeanneret, O., Junod, J.-P., et al. (1983). Vieillesses: Situations, itinéraires et modes de vie des personnes egées aujourd'hui [Old ages. Life conditions, life trajectories and life styles]. Saint-Saphorin: Georgi.
34. Lalive d'Epinay, C. J., Guilley, E., Guillet, L. A., & Spini, D. (2008). The Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old: Design and population. In E. Guilley & C. J. Lalive d'Epinay (Eds.), The closing chapters of long lives: Results from the 10-year SWILSOO study on the oldest old (pp. 9-26). New York: Nova Science.
35. Lawton, M. P., & Brody, E. M. (1969). Assessment of older people: Self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. The Gerontologist, 9, 179-186.
36. Lee, G. R., Willets, M. C., & Seccombe, K. (1998). Widowhood and depression: Gender differences. Research on Aging, 20, 611-630.
37. Lowenthal, M. F., Thurner, M., & Chiriboga, D. A. (1975). Four stages of life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
38. Matthews, M. A. (1991). Widowhood in later life. Toronto and Vancouver: Butterworths.
39. Matthews, S. H. (1986). Friendship in old age: Biography and circumstances. In V. W. Marshall (Ed.), Later life: The social psychology of aging (pp. 233-266). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
40. Moss, M. S., Lesher, E. L., & Moss, S. Z. (1986). Impact of the death of an adult child on elderly parents: Some observations. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 17(3), 209-218.
41. Moss, M. S., & Moss, S. Z. (1989a). Death of the very old. In K. J. Doka (Ed.), Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow. Lexington: Lexington Books.
42. Moss, M. S., & Moss, S. Z. (1989b). The impact of the death of an elderly sibling: Some considerations of a normative loss. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 94-106.
43. Moss, M. S., Moss, S. Z., & Hansson, R. O. (2001). Bereavement and old age. In M. S. Stroebe, R. O. Hansson, W. Stroebe, & H. Schut (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement research. Washington: American Psychological Association.
44. Ott, C. H., Lueger, R., Kelber, S., & Prigerson, H. (2007). Spousal bereavement in older adults: Common, resilient and chronic grief with defining characteristics. Journal of Mental and Nervous Diseases, 195(4), 332-341.
45. Parkes, C. M. (1972). Bereavement: Studies of grief in the adult life. New York: International Universities Press.
46. Pearlin, L. I. (1994). The study of the oldest-old: Some promises and puzzles. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 38(1), 91-98.
47. Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M. A., & Mullan, J. T. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22, 337-356.
48. Raudenbush, S. W., Bryk, A. S., Cheong, Y. F., & Congdon, R. T., Jr. (2004). HLM 6: Hierarchical linear and nonlinear modelling (6th ed.). Lincolnwood, IL: Scientific Software International.
49. Roberto, K. A., & Stanis, P. I. (1994). Reactions of older women to the death of their close friends. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 29(1), 17-27.
50. Rogers, M. P., & Reich, P. (1988). On the health consequences of bereavement. New England Journal of Medicine, 319, 510-512.
51. Rook, K. S. (2000). The evolution of social relationships in later adulthood. In S. H. Qualls, & N. Abeles (Eds.), Psychology and the aging revolution. How we adapt to longer life (pp. 173-191). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
52. Shimai, S. (2004). Bereavement experience in the general population: incidence, consequences, and coping in a national sample of Japan. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 48(2), 137-147.
53. Sklar, F., & Hartley, S. F. (1990). Close friends as survivors: Bereavement patterns in a hidden population. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 21, 103-112.
54. Stroebe, M. S., & Stroebe, W. (1993). The mortality of bereavement: A review. In M. S. Stroebe, W. Stroebe, & R. O. Hansson (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement (pp. 175-195). New York: Cambridge University Press.
55. Swiss Federal Statistical Office. (2000). The 2000 population census. Bern: Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
56. Thierry, X. (1999). Risques de mortalité et de surmortalité au cours des dix premières années de veuvage [Risks of mortality and excess mortality in the first ten years of widowhood]. Population, 54(2), 177-204.
57. Thierry, X. (2000). Mortel veuvage. Risques de mortalité et causes médicales des décès aux divers moments du veuvage [Mortal widowhood. Mortality risk and medical causes of death at the various stages of widowhood]. Gérontologie et Société, 95, 27-45.
58. Tudiver, F., Hilditch, J., Permaul, J. A., & McKendree, D. J. (1992). Does mutual help facilitate newly bereaved widowers? Evaluation and the Health Professions, 15, 147-162.
59. Umberson, D., Wortman, C. B., & Kessler, R. C. (1992). Widowhood and depression: Explaining long-term gender differences in vulnerability. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 33, 10-24.
60. Wang, R. I., Treul, S., & Alverno, L. (1975). A brief self-assessing depression scale. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 15(2-3), 163-167.
61. Wenger, G. C., Davies, R., Shatahmasebi, S., & Scott, A. (1996). Social isolation and loneliness in old age: Review and model refinement. Ageing and Society, 16(3), 333-358.
62. Williams, B. R., Baker, P. S., Allman, R. M., & Roseman, J. M. (2006). The feminization of bereavement among community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Women and Aging, 18(3), 3-18.