Interviewed widowed persons (N=50) to examine nature of pre-, during-, and post-funeral rituals and the potential of those rituals in facilitation of grief work. While no significant relationship was found between amount of ritual practiced and degree of adaptive grieving, results suggest that post-funeral rituals may have an impact on grief work.…

Explored covert mental representations and interactional context of dependence in suicidal women (n=19) and their nonsuicidal male partners. Suicidal women and their partners were similar in terms of covert dependence and different with regard to overt behavior. Male partners tended to foster dependence in suicidal women. Most suicidal women did…

Investigated reactions of others to the surviving spouse of an individual who commits suicide. Results indicated (compared to those spouses of accident and leukemia victims) that the spouse of a suicide was viewed as being more to blame for the death, as having had a greater chance of preventing the death, and as being more ashamed of the death.…

Discusses the deep attachment the widowed elderly often maintain for the deceased spouse, based on naturalistic observations and interviews with six widow(er)s. Five themes of the marital tie continue throughout widowhood, including caring, family feeling, commitment, and reciprocal identity support. (JAC)

Investigated differences among both uncomplicated and depressed reactions to conjugal bereavement and major depression unrelated to widowhood. Both uncomplicated and depressed bereaved evidenced less intense depressive mood, and less dysfunctional pattern of depressotypic cognition, than did nonbereaved psychiatric depressed. Concluded that…

Bereaved husbands and wives (n=33) whose child had died completed Grief Experience Inventory at three times over one-year period. Found significant differences between grief levels of spouses' responses and/or differences over time in 10 of 12 variables: denial, despair, guilt, loss of control, rumination, depersonalization, somatization, death…

Examined effects of being forewarned of husband's death on psychological adjustment of older widows (n=300). Results indicated forewarning of spouse's death and couple's discussion of wife's future financial circumstances were related to higher levels of positive affect in widowhood but did not relate to negative affect. (Author/ABL)

Compared 92 widows and 400 professionals (clergy, counselors, physicians, funeral directors) regarding perceptions of conjugal bereavement. Professionals saw bereavement as having more negative impact and requiring use of coping skills to greater extent than did widows. Help-seeking behaviors, age at bereavement, and length of bereavement…

The Grief Experience Inventory and the MMPI were used to assess bereavement reactions in newly bereaved individuals. Intensities of bereavement reactions were compared across types of deaths experienced, i.e., spouse, child, and parent. Significantly higher intensities of grief were noted in parents surviving their child's death. (Author)

Compared stress and coping levels of 108 older adults who recently lost their spouses with expectations of stress and coping reported by 85 matched nonbereaved controls. Although bereaved reported moderately high stress levels over two years, their stress scores were lower and coping scores higher than what nonbereaved anticipated their levels…

Examined questionnaires completed by acutely bereaved widows and widowers to identify dimensions of psychological stress associated with bereavement. Found four factors that were meaningfully understood within the framework of attachment theory. Findings support view that grief is a complex, evolving process with multiple dimensions. (Author/NB)

Investigated the correspondence between stage changes hypothesized by the Kubler-Ross theory and the perception of the course of illness by seriously ill patients and their spouses. Supported the use of Q-methodology as a research procedure for investigations of terminal illness. (Author)

Interviewed 150 widows, then used 4 indicators for adjustment to widowhood (functioning in everyday living, depression level, health status, life satisfaction) to examine factors that may affect adjustment. Found indicators associated with different clusters of predictors. Two predictors were associated with all four indicators: widow's locus of…

Administered Texas Inventory of Grief to and conducted interviews with 81 widows between the ages of 26 and 82. Compared to younger women, older women showed more intense grief at time of interview and reported more feelings of anxiety and depression. Findings showed that older women did not tolerate or adapt to bereavement more successfully than…

Examined relationship between widow's sex role identity and adjustment to loss of a spouse by administering Bem Sex Role Inventory, certain scales of the Bell Adjustment Inventory, and the Carey Adjustment/Depression Scale for Widows to 45 widows. Significant between-group differences were found, suggesting a relationship between behavioral…