Researchers with Claude Pepper Center and Pepper Institute on Aging & Public Policy examined how pre-widowhood psychological resilience (PR) affects depressive symptom recovery following spousal loss among older men and women. The team concluded that bolstering PR before spousal loss could provide protective effects against depressive symptoms.
The research team consists of Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Shekhar Chauhan and Director Dr. Dawn Carr with FSU Claude Pepper Center, and FSU Pepper Institute on Aging & Public Policy Director Dr. Miles Taylor.
The team recently investigated how pre-widowhood psychological resilience (PR) influences the recovery of depressive symptoms following spousal loss among older men and women. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, the research evaluates changes in depressive symptoms from baseline PR pre-widowhood to the first wave after widowhood (acute effects) and the second wave (recovery period) for both men and women.
The findings reveal that both widowed men and women experience increased depressive symptoms immediately following spousal loss, regardless of their PR levels. However, moderate to high levels of PR in men and high PR in women predict a return to pre-widowhood depressive symptom levels two years later. Additionally, high PR is associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time among continuously married individuals.
The study highlights that interventions aimed at bolstering PR before spousal loss could enhance the likelihood of recovery for both men and women. These interventions may also provide protective effects against overall depressive symptoms among married individuals over time.
The research underscores the importance of PR as an internalized resource that helps individuals navigate adversity through positive adaptation, safeguarding health and well-being. It also notes that PR’s protective effects are more pronounced in the long term, with resilient individuals showing better recovery from depressive symptoms following spousal loss.
In conclusion, the study suggests that enhancing PR before spousal loss could be a valuable public health strategy to improve long-term mental health outcomes for widowed individuals. Future research should focus on identifying mechanisms that explain the protective effects of PR and developing appropriate interventions to bolster resilience.
References
Shekhar Chauhan, Dawn C Carr, Miles Taylor, Associations between pre-widowhood psychological resilience and subsequent depressive symptom recovery following spousal loss among men and women, The Gerontologist, 2025, gnaf084, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf084