Time course of spousal bereavement. 1985

S Zisook, and S R Shuchter

This article reports the results of a survey on 300 widows and widowers who experienced spousal bereavement weeks to years prior to the study, and discusses the symptoms, syndromes, and behaviors seen at various time intervals. Although the reactions to widowhood were highly variable and individual, it was clear that for many widows and widowers, the time course of grief was much more prolonged than generally expected. Dysphoric feelings, symptoms, and behaviors were most frequent during the first year of bereavement, but often remained present even four or more years after the death. In particular, anger, guilt, depression, and anxiety tended to diminish over time, but not to statistically significant degrees. Many widows and widowers never fully accepted the fact of their spouses' deaths and maintained a continuing relationship with their deceased spouses, in their own ways, indefinitely. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008393 Marriage The social institution involving legal and/or religious sanction whereby individuals are joined together. Marital Relationship,Arranged Marriage,Commonlaw Marriage,Consensual Union,Consummation of Marriage,Dowry,Husband-Wife Comparisons,Intermarriage,Marriage Age,Marriage Duration,Marriage Patterns,Marriage Postponement,Mate Selection,Multiple Marriages,Nuptiality,Polygamy,Polygyny,Remarriage,Same-Sex Marriage,Age, Marriage,Ages, Marriage,Arranged Marriages,Commonlaw Marriages,Comparison, Husband-Wife,Comparisons, Husband-Wife,Consensual Unions,Dowries,Duration, Marriage,Husband Wife Comparisons,Husband-Wife Comparison,Intermarriages,Marital Relationships,Marriage Ages,Marriage Consummation,Marriage Consummations,Marriage Pattern,Marriage Postponements,Marriage, Arranged,Marriage, Commonlaw,Marriage, Same-Sex,Marriages,Marriages, Arranged,Marriages, Commonlaw,Marriages, Multiple,Marriages, Same-Sex,Mate Selections,Postponement, Marriage,Postponements, Marriage,Relationship, Marital,Relationships, Marital,Remarriages,Same Sex Marriage,Same-Sex Marriages,Selection, Mate,Selections, Mate,Union, Consensual,Unions, Consensual
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D003643 Death Irreversible cessation of all bodily functions, manifested by absence of spontaneous breathing and total loss of cardiovascular and cerebral functions. End Of Life,End-Of-Life,Near-Death Experience,Cardiac Death,Determination of Death,Death, Cardiac
D005260 Female Females
D006117 Grief Normal, appropriate sorrowful response to an immediate cause. It is self-limiting and gradually subsides within a reasonable time. Mourning,Griefs,Mournings
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000342 Affective Symptoms Mood or emotional responses dissonant with or inappropriate to the behavior and/or stimulus. Alexithymia,Emotional Disturbances,Affective Symptom,Alexithymias,Disturbance, Emotional,Disturbances, Emotional,Emotional Disturbance,Symptom, Affective,Symptoms, Affective
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly

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