Widowhood and depression: a longitudinal study of older persons in rural China

Abstract

Using six waves of longitudinal data (2001–2015) collected in Anhui, China (N = 2,131) and generalized estimating equations (GEE) models, this study fulfilled several objectives. First, the study compared the widowed to the married to examine if the transition to and duration of widowhood contributes to changes in depression. Second, the study examined if the bereavement-depression relationship is a process that precedes widowhood or is an abrupt change following the death of a spouse. Third, the study examined if social resources influence the bereavement-depression relationship. The study found that there is pre-widowhood effect on depression and that the widowhood event also contributes to increases in depression. Levels of post-widowhood depressive symptoms peak during the first six months bereavement and taper off within 25 months. Controlling for social support, contact with children, and living arrangements does not change the bereavement-depression relationship. The findings support Attachment Theory, which suggests that the loss of a spouse leads to emotional isolation that cannot be overcome with kin-based social support and social integration.

Keywords:

• Widowhood effect
• bereavement
• depression

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71573207).