Widowhood

Paper Summary:

Both empirical and anecdotal evidence has shown that aging individuals of both sexes frequently develop severe and debilitating depression following the loss of their mates. However, it is aging widowers who suffer the highest rates of suicide among all populations. For this reason, an understanding of the contrast in coping skills between men and women is crucial. This paper examines current thought among professionals concerning the differences between males and females when dealing with loss and with the successful or unsuccessful continuation of life alone.

Outline:
Characteristics of Widowed Women
Characteristics of Widowed Men
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"By the age of sixty-five, 33 percent of women have lost their husbands; by seventy-five, the same number of men have outlived their wives. However normative, the death of one's spouse is thought to be life's most devastating event (Holmes & Rabe, 1976, cited by Papalia, Sterns, Feldman, & Camp, p. 147). Both widows and widowers suffer higher rates of depression than do married people (Balkwell, quoted by Papalia et al., p. 498). This being the case, it would be logical to assume that both women and men would attempt to assuage loneliness and avoid depression by seeking another mate, or at the least, an emotionally and/or physically intimate relationship with a member of the opposite sex. While this may be logical, it is not necessarily the case; the differences between men and women are decisive, and conflict in ways that can effect the relative happiness and life-satisfaction of both."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Butler, Robert N., Lewis, M.I., & Sunderland, T. Aging and mental health: positive psychosocial and biomedical approaches, (5th ed.). (1998) Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Carr, D. (2004). The desire to date and remarry among older widows and widowers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4). Retrieved from ProQuest on April 10, 2007.
• Charrow, C.B. (2006). Self-efficacy as a predictor of life status in older adults. (Doctoral dissertation, Adelphi University, 2006). Retrieved from ProQuest on April 2, 2007.
• Cheng, S.T., & Chan, A.C.M. (2006). Relationship with others and life satisfaction in later life: do gender and widowhood make a difference? The Journals of Gerontology, 61B(1). Retrieved from ProQuest on April 6, 2007.
• Davidson, K. (2001). Late life widowhood, selfishness, and new partnership choices: a gendered perspective. Aging and Society, 21, 297-317. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

More papers on Widowhood:

• Research Paper # 17084 : "Widowhood in Older Adults"
• Comparison Essay # 136510 : "Men, Women and Widowhood"
• Essay # 45664 : "Single Fathers"

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