Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The aim of the study was to examine the lifestyles of women and men widowed in late life, highlighting gender, social participation, wellbeing and emotional response, with a view to promoting more effective adjustment to bereavement and widowhood. The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. to identify and investigate variations within a sample of widowed people of three items - (a) the gender differences in response to widowhood; (b) the lifestyles, social participation and wellbeing of widowed people, and (c) the effects of transition from married to single status; 2. to examine emotional adjustment following bereavement - (a) describing the time course of emotional changes and identifying different patterns; (b) examining the impact of emotional changes and identifying different patterns; and (c) examining to what extent the trauma of bereavement provokes disturbances of cognitive functioning; 3. to identify patterns of response that lead to successful or unsuccessful adjustment to bereavement and widowhood, and identifying the circumstances that lead to successful/unsuccessful adjustment; 4. to propose strategies both for prevention of and intervention in unsuccessful adaptation to bereavement and widowhood.
Main Topics:
The dataset contains demographic information (age, years bereaved, gender, years married, children, etc.) for 92 widowed men and women, aged 55 years and over (46 men, 46 women). Also included is an interviewer-derived variable for whether individuals are coping well or less well. In addition, the dataset also contains scores on individual items on the SAD, HADS and CFQ questionnaires (see definitions below). Standard Measures SAD and HADS are standardised measures of anxiety and depression, and CFQ is a standardised measure of cognitive failure: SAD - <i>Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Scale</i>, Bedford et al, 1976. HADS - <i>Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale</i>, Zigmond and Snaith, 1983. CFQ - <i>Cognitive Failures Questionnaire</i>, Broadbent et al, 1982.
Volunteer sample
recruitment of respondents was done via a wide range of organisations. Any potential respondents who volunteered, and their eligible friends, were accepted for the study as long as they were aged 60 years and over. A few respondents aged between 55 and 60 who were very keen to take part were also included. Widowed men were harder to recruit than women.
Face-to-face interview
Psychological measurements
