Coping with a Spouse’s Death

Many older adults have experienced the death of a spouse, which is one of the most stressful events anyone can face. But recent research has shown that most mature people are resilient enough to rebuild their lives.  In fact, most widows and widowers recover their emotional and physical health within 18 months.

According to recent studies by American sociologists, many myths surround the subject of how people should and do cope with the death of a spouse.  For instance, it is commonly believed that widowers suffer greater depression than widows, when actually they just seem more depressed compared to how happy they were.  Also, the sudden death of a spouse is not necessarily more difficult to cope with than a prolonged death due to illness.

Surprisingly, financial security does little to help widows cope with a husband’s death.  In fact, researchers found that widows who owned their homes were generally more depressed after the death of their husband than widows who rented apartments or who lived in retirement communities.