TY - JOUR
T1 - Prospective patterns of resilience and maladjustment during widowhood
AU - Bonanno, George A.
AU - Wortman, Camille B.
AU - Nesse, Randolph M.
PY - 2004/6
Y1 - 2004/6
N2 - Using prospective longitudinal data on an older sample beginning prior to the death of a spouse, G. A. Bonanno et al. (2002) distinguished 5 unique trajectories of bereavement outcome: common grief, chronic grief, chronic depression, depression followed by improvement, and resilience. These trajectories having been identified, the aims of the current study were to examine differences in how respondents in each group reacted to and processed the loss. Specific hypotheses were tested regarding differences in coping, meaning making, context, and representations of the lost relationship. Results suggest that chronic grief stems from the upheaval surrounding the loss of a healthy spouse, whereas chronic depression results from more enduring emotional difficulties that are exacerbated by the loss. Both the resilient and the depressed-improved groups showed remarkably healthy profiles and relatively little evidence of either struggling with or denying/avoiding the loss.
AB - Using prospective longitudinal data on an older sample beginning prior to the death of a spouse, G. A. Bonanno et al. (2002) distinguished 5 unique trajectories of bereavement outcome: common grief, chronic grief, chronic depression, depression followed by improvement, and resilience. These trajectories having been identified, the aims of the current study were to examine differences in how respondents in each group reacted to and processed the loss. Specific hypotheses were tested regarding differences in coping, meaning making, context, and representations of the lost relationship. Results suggest that chronic grief stems from the upheaval surrounding the loss of a healthy spouse, whereas chronic depression results from more enduring emotional difficulties that are exacerbated by the loss. Both the resilient and the depressed-improved groups showed remarkably healthy profiles and relatively little evidence of either struggling with or denying/avoiding the loss.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=2642556331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=2642556331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0882-7974.19.2.260
DO - 10.1037/0882-7974.19.2.260
M3 - Article
C2 - 15222819
AN - SCOPUS:2642556331
SN - 0882-7974
VL - 19
SP - 260
EP - 271
JO - Psychology and aging
JF - Psychology and aging
IS - 2
ER -