A dual process model of grief counseling: findings from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) study

This paper tests Stroebe and Schut's Dual Process Model of Bereavement using data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC), a prospective study of 1,532 married persons over the age of 65. This analysis focused on a weighted sample of 104 widowers and 492 widows at six months, 18 months, and four years later. Bradburn's Affect Balance Scale was used as the dependent variable, and the independent variables were based on Stroebe and Schut's bereavement model. The multiple regression analyses revealed that loss- and restoration-oriented activities were important throughout bereavement. Implications for bereavement counseling are discussed.     

A Dual Process Model of Grief Counseling

Summary

This paper tests Stroebe and Schuf s Dual Process Model of Bereavement using data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC), a prospective study of 1,532 married persons over the age of 65. This analysis focused on a weighted sample of 104 widowers and 492 widows at six months, 18 months, and four years later. Bradburn's Affect Balance Scale was used as the dependent variable, and the independent variables were based on Stroebe and Schut's bereavement model. The multiple regression analyses revealed that loss- and restoration-oriented activities were important throughout bereavement. Implications for bereavement counseling are discussed.     

Chinese widowers' self-perception of growth: an exploratory study

Presence of growth after traumatic events was introduced to the academic community about a decade ago (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1995). From the conventionally neglected perspective of Chinese widowers, this paper reports seventeen Chinese widowers' views on growth after conjugal loss. Findings seem to suggest that Chinese widowers would define growth as human learning, a definition probably influenced by Confucian teachings. Furthermore, contrary to claims made by Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004), it was found that growth may occur for some individuals without the presence of distress if the individuals have either a stable philosophy of life and death or optimism to buffer their distress or a sense of responsibility to suppress their distress.     

Marital status,social capital,economic stress,and mental health: A population-based study

The associations between marital status and poor mental health are investigated, and whether social capital, trust, and economic stress attenuate the associations between marital status and poor mental health. The public health survey in Skåne (southern Sweden) 2008 is a cross-sectional study including 28,198 persons aged 18–80. Logistic regression models investigate associations between marital status and mental health, adjusting for age, country of birth, education, emotional support, instrumental support, trust in others, and economic stress. A 13.8% prevalence of the men and 18.2% of the women had poor mental health. Significantly higher odds ratios of poor mental health for the unmarried, divorced and widows/widowers compared to married/cohabitating remained throughout the analyses. Trust and economic stress only moderately attenuated these associations.     

A Retrospective,Empirical Study of Grief-Related Beliefs in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

This article reports on the findings of a retrospective, empirical study that explores and describes grief-related beliefs of a convenience sample of 312 persons in a Veterans hospital. These beliefs may facilitate bereaved individuals’ emotional regulation and adaptive responses to loss conceptualized in the dual process model. The study addresses the question: Do gender, employment status, and loss burden contribute to differences in grief-related beliefs? The findings reveal significant gender differences, and also that grief-related beliefs are reality rather than myth-oriented. Study limitations and implications for social work practice in bereavement care and hospice settings are discussed.     

Developmental markers of risk or vulnerability? Young females who sexually abuse – characteristics,backgrounds, behaviours and outcomes

This paper presents findings from a subsample of 24 young females aged 8–16 years who were referred to specialist services in England during the 1990s because of their abusive sexual behaviours. The characteristics, backgrounds and behaviours of the sample are summarized and compared both with the males in the total population studied and with findings from the limited international literature on young female sexual abusers. Key findings include the higher rates of sexual victimization amongst females, their lack of prior criminal convictions, their somewhat younger ages at referral and their fewer victims. A smaller selection of case studies is used to illustrate the range of circumstances and behaviours leading to referral. Follow‐up interviews with two female ex service users, who are now in young adulthood, indicate that their childhood sexually abusive behaviour is more a marker of vulnerability than of risk of abusive behaviour in adulthood. Their struggles now as parents, in adult relationships and their ongoing health difficulties are outlined.     

The life satisfaction of elderly Chinese widows living alone and those living with adult children

Care of China's elderly population is of concern due to its projected growth as well as to changes in elder care patterns related to shifting social and economic conditions. Increases in life expectancy and, therefore, in the duration of widowhood, particularly for women, magnifies this concern. Studies that examine the living arrangements and life satisfaction of elderly widows in China are limited. This study of 147 elderly widows, both men and women, examined differences in the life satisfaction of those who live with their adult children and those who live alone. This study also examined whether the relationship between living arrangement and life satisfaction was moderated by levels of family and community support. According to study findings, elderly widows living alone have higher life satisfaction than those living with their adult children, and this effect remains with the introduction of controls for health status, family support, community support, gender, age, income and educational level. Further, neither family nor community support moderate the relationship between living arrangement and life satisfaction, although each exerts a direct effect on life satisfaction.     

Survivors'pensions and death benefits: Current issues and future perspectives

With the merits of the survivors'benefits paid by existing social insurance schemes being called into question, it is useful to take a closer look at such benefits and their future prospects. After presenting a detailed review of the relevant aspects of various national legislations, the author describes major recent changes in customs and lifestyles, and the problems to which they have given rise as regards the derivative rights of survivors, particularly in the context of the dissolution or absence of family ties. These problems concern the equality of rights between widows and widowers, the maintenance of protection beyond the usual framework of marriage for divorced persons, and the extension of coverage to unmarried couples who live together. Next the author discusses identifiable trends with a view to discerning options for future policy, and describes reforms to survivors'benefits which have already been implemented or are currently under consideration in several countries.     

Marital status and generalized trust in other people: A population-based study

The association between marital status and generalized trust in other people was investigated. The public health survey in Skåne 2008 is a cross-sectional study including 28,198 persons (55% participation rate) aged 18–80 in southern Sweden. Logistic regression models investigated associations between marital status and trust, adjusting for age, country of birth, education, emotional support, instrumental support and economic stress. 33.9% of the men and 35.7% of the women had low trust. The significantly higher odds ratios of low trust for unmarried men and women and divorced men remained throughout the analyses, while the significant association disappeared for divorced women in the final model. In contrast, the odds ratios of low trust for widows/widowers remained not significant compared to the married/cohabitating category throughout the analyses.     

Coping with Normative Stress from Loss and Change:

From the symbolic interaction perspective, the study examined the effect of loss of spouse on 30 rural widows in three Montana counties at 6 and 12 months after death of spouse. Participants were given a measure of psychological husband presence, a coping inventory, a health measure, and a measure of self-esteem. The results revealed a high level of adjustment among the rural widows at both 6 and 12 months after death of spouse, and a qualitative shift in the focus of the coping behaviors from 6 to 12 months after the husband's death. These results suggest that within this select sampleit is possible for widows to adjust to their new status and develop a positive and satisfying life as a single woman.     

The gender impact of National Pension reforms in the Republic of Korea

This article examines the gender impact of National Pension reforms in the Republic of Korea. In 2007, the Korean government introduced an income-tested basic old-age pension scheme paying flat-rate benefits. It also introduced credited pension coverage periods for child rearing and changed entitlement conditions for divorcees and widows and widowers. This paper examines the impact of these policy changes for individuals with shorter working lives and lower wages, for survivors and for the traditional social protection role played by the family in Korea. Findings indicate that the reforms have some positive features. However, the reforms still offer better value for those with higher earnings and an uninterrupted employment history, both of which are more characteristic of male workers. Moreover, the important income security role played by the family is still strongly embedded in the provisions and the protection available to survivors remains weak.     

Determinants of the demand for health screening in Malaysia: The case of the aged population

The increase in the prevalence of heart disease has become a serious public health issue. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension are two main modifiable health risk factors for heart disease. In a fast ageing society, proper preventive measures should be adopted, particularly to achieve healthy aging. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors affecting the use of two health tests, namely blood cholesterol and blood pressure screenings among adults aged 60 years and above in Malaysia. Nationally representative data collected through the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 (NHMS, 2011) by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia were analysed. The survey used a two-stage stratified sampling method. Enumeration Blocks were selected in the first stage, while the second stage involved selection of Living Quarters. The proportions of those not using the blood cholesterol (45.4%) and blood pressure (30.8%) tests are alarmingly high. A bivariate probit model is applied to examine the determinants of the use of these two health screening tests. The results show that education, ethnicity, location of residence, employment status, health insurance and smoking significantly affect the decision of the aged population to undergo these tests. Key findings are, first, time is a more dominant factor than income in determining health screening behaviour among the aged population. Second, being covered by insurance increases the propensity to undergo health screening. Third, smokers have a lower likelihood of screening than non-smokers. The findings suggest that intervention programmes should be targeted at the less-educated, employed individuals, individuals not covered by health insurance and smokers.     

Bereavement as a Psychosocial Transition: Processes of Adaptation to Change

There are many ways of construing the psychology of loss. This paper describes one such model, which enlightens some, but not all, aspects of bereavement and needs to be used alongside other models. Loss is one aspect of psychosocial transition, the psychological change that takes place whenever people are faced with the need to undertake a major revision of their assumptions about the world. The paper focuses on the ways in which people change or fail to change their internal model of the world in the face of emergent events. Examples are taken from bereavement, loss of a limb, and the succession of losses that mark the course of terminal illness. Implications for identifying people at risk and mitigating that risk are outlined.     

Personal financial situation during unemployment and mental health

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the personal financial situation during unemployment and the connection between financial situation and mental health in a sample ( n =213) of unemployed Norwegians. The results indicate that the unemployed suffered high financial deprivation compared with their own subjective standards, their situation when working, their neighbors and friends, and the average population. However, the unemployed did not constitute a homogeneous group in financial terms. In particular, the young unemployed experienced substantial financial problems. Among men, the reduction in income, few leisure facilities and many financial adjustments were closely related to mental health problems. Women who experienced that their income was substantially reduced compared with that of neighbors and friends and women who had carried out many financial adjustments were in poorer mental health than the other women in the sample. The findings are discussed in relation to relevant aspects of the life situation of the unemployed and other research results.     

Assessing PTSD and resilience for females who during childhood were exposed to domestic violence

This study examined 68 females, who as children were exposed to domestic violence, to explore childhood risk and protective factors and their relationship to adult levels of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and resilience. Independent sample t‐tests indicated significant differences in PTSD levels between participants with and without police involvement during childhood. There were also significant differences in PTSD levels between participants who reported their mothers had mental‐health problems with those who did not. Additionally, participants whose mothers had full‐time steady employment had significantly higher resilience than those with mothers who did not work or worked inconsistently. Implications include advancing ecological theory and conceptual insights regarding childhood risk and protective factors and their association to adult psychological distress and hardiness for daughters exposed to their mothers' intimate partner violence.     

In Conclusion: Current Themes in Bereavement and Widowhood Research

A number of important themes and controversies emerged from the preceding papers. These include (a) what kinds of losses lead to grief; (b) how long grief lasts; (c) how to conceptualize "recovery," (d) the nature of "normal" grief; (e) whether bereavement has lasting effects on health; and (f) what characteristics of the individual, the relationship, or the nature of the death create a greater risk for poor outcome of bereavement. Consideration of these issues should help develop more effective strategies for intervention with sufferers, and social policies sensitive to the needs of those at greatest risk.     

Major Depressive Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease in African-American Women

Major depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study used the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) to examine the co-occurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and CVD in a nationally representative sample of African American women (n = 2,216). Results from a series of logistic regression models indicated high rates of MDD and CVD in the sample, and the African American women with MDD were 1.59 times more likely to have CVD compared to those without MDD. High rates of MDD/CVD co-morbidity appeared across those living in and not living in poverty. These individuals demonstrated greater functional impairment and were high users of mental health services. Our findings validate that MDD and CVD co-occur and the need for more holistic interventions are warranted. The interface of co-morbid health conditions is critical to developing integrated models of care. Integrated health care systems are central for improving physical and mental health outcomes. These findings facilitate developing targeted assessment procedures and culturally appropriate treatment interventions. Increased knowledge regarding the role of gender, chronic health conditions, and the burden of mental illness in African American Women provides the opportunity to examine other chronic health conditions co-occurring with MDD.     

Widowhood practices in West Africa: the silent victims

This article discusses the plight and suffering of widows in terms of their social, economic, psychological and human rights violations in three West African societies. The article describes the situation of the widows as silent victims who suffer cruel and dehumanising cultural and ritual practices as a mourning process for their dead spouses. The article also examines the gender inequalities suffered by the widows and makes some recommendations as to how these practices could be minimised or eliminated from those societies.     

The Consequences of Adolescent Parenthood on Men's Depression,Parental Satisfaction,and Fertility in Adulthood

Adolescent fathers who drop out of school to enter the labor force jeopardize their educations, subsequent occupations, and their life-time earning potentials, as well as enter adult roles for which they may not be emotionally prepared. This life event during their adolescence puts them at high risk for economic problems and stress related to accelerated role development: Using a sample from a national study, it was hypothesized that men who fathered during adolescence (n = 227) would report greater fertility, more depression, and lower levels of parental satisfaction than men who first fathered during their 20s (n = 1032). Ordinary least squares regression was used to test the hypotheses. Men who fathered during adolescence were found to have significantly greater rates of fertility and depression, but higher levels of parental satisfaction, as compared to men who fathered as adults, when also controlling for SES, race, fertility, and age.