HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fry, P. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fry, P. S.

The Unique Contribution of Key Existential Factors to the Prediction of Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults Following Spousal Loss

^a Graduate Program in Psychology, Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Correspondence: P. S. Fry, PhD, Graduate Program in Psychology, Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Road, Langley, British Columbia, Canada, V2Y 1Y1. E-mail: Fry{at}Twu.ca.

Decision Editor: Laurence G. Branch, PhD

Purpose: This study examined the unique contribution of key existential factors to the prediction of psychological well-being of older adults following spousal loss. Design and Method: A number of measures to assess psychological well-being, sociodemographic standing, social resources, and religious and spiritual resources were administered to a volunteer sample of widows and widowers to test the hypothesis that existential factors such as personal meaning, religiosity, and spirituality are more potent predictors of psychological well-being than are previously hypothesized variables of sociodemographic, social support, and physical factors. Results: A hierarchical regression analysis of the data supported the hypothesis that existential factors are major contributors to psychological well-being of older adults following spousal loss. Findings showed that widowers, compared to widows, scored lower on the measure of psychological well-being. Implications: Implications of the findings are discussed for practitioners working with bereaved spouses; suggestions for further research concerning bereavement and psychological well-being are made.

Key Words: Spousal loss • Psychological well-being • Personal meaning • Religiosity • Spirituality

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Becker, C. J. Xander, H. E. Blum, J. Lutterbach, F. Momm, M. Gysels, and I. J Higginson Do religious or spiritual beliefs influence bereavement? A systematic review Palliative Medicine, April 1, 2007; 21(3): 207 - 217. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. G. Choi and T. M. Bohman Predicting the Changes in Depressive Symptomatology in Later Life: How Much Do Changes in Health Status, Marital and Caregiving Status, Work and Volunteering, and Health-Related Behaviors Contribute? J Aging Health, February 1, 2007; 19(1): 152 - 177. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. L. Gillum, C. M. Sullivan, and D. I. Bybee The Importance of Spirituality in the Lives of Domestic Violence Survivors Violence Against Women, March 1, 2006; 12(3): 240 - 250. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Schieman, T. Pudrovska, and M. A. Milkie The Sense of Divine Control and the Self-Concept: A Study of Race Differences in Late Life Research on Aging, March 1, 2005; 27(2): 165 - 196. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. E. Kirby, P. G. Coleman, and D. Daley Spirituality and Well-Being in Frail and Nonfrail Older Adults J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., May 1, 2004; 59(3): P123 - P129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Nightingale Religion, Spirituality, and Ethnicity: What it Means for Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Dementia, October 1, 2003; 2(3): 379 - 391. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. B. Flannery Jr. Disrupted caring attachments: Implications for long-term care American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, July 1, 2002; 17(4): 227 - 231. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. L. Ai, C. Peterson, S. F. Bolling, and H. Koenig Private Prayer and Optimism in Middle-Aged and Older Patients Awaiting Cardiac Surgery Gerontologist, February 1, 2002; 42(1): 70 - 81. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. S. Fry Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life Perspectives, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfactions of Older Adults Following Spousal Loss: An 18-Month Follow-up Study of Widows and Widowers Gerontologist, December 1, 2001; 41(6): 787 - 798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]