ERIC Number: ED266378
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985-May
Pages: 10
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Bereavement and Pre-Event Status on Depression in Older Persons.
Murrell, Stanley A.; Himmelfarb, Samuel
The psychological stress produced by life events is actively researched because of the effects this stress has on physical and psychological functioning. Bereavement may be the most stressful of these events and therefore it is the subject of this study. A sample of adults from three different geographical areas of Kentucky was assembled and 71.5 percent of the adults months for a total of five interviews. A life event scale testing 54 life events common in older adults was administered. Researchers determined if subjects had attachment bereavement (loss by death of spouse, parent, or child), nonattachment bereavement (loss by death of sibling, grandchild, or friend), and other losses (loss of a house or job). Depression and pre-event variables were measured. The results suggested that bereavement and other losses do independently affect depression when measured within 6 months of the loss. Pre-event differences need to be considered if an accurate estimate of effects of events on depression is to be made. Physical health was the strongest predictor of depression. This approach to the study of bereavement makes it possible to measure the effects of or number of variables prior to the bereavement event. (ABL)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A