Life Expectations in the Elderly

Bereavement is a prevalent problem for the elderly and it is further complicated with depression found in this group. While bereavement due to the loss of a loved one usually follows a painful but normal adjustment process, for some the process is more difficult (Gilewski, Farberow, Gallagher, & Thompson, 1991).

Statement and Background of the Problem

Research has reported that there are several factors which may affect the bereavement process, such as previous functioning ability or being a victim of spousal suicide. A review of the literature has revealed that studies regarding gender differences yield inconsistent results, with one study showing no differences between men and women during the first three years of bereavement and another study reporting that men reported lower levels of well-being than women during the first two years (Bierhals, Prigerson, Fasiczka, & Frank, 1995; Nieboer, Lindenberg, & Ormel, 1998-1999). The study which showed that men reported lower levels of well-being lacked equal groups of males and females, which may have affected findings. Therefore a study was needed to determine differences between men and women up to the two year point, with equal gender representation, to help resolve these conflicting findings.

Purpose and Significance of the Study

The purpose of this research study was to determine differences between males and females wit

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nd that women are far more likely than men to receive social support. Women tend to solicit emotional and other social support throughout life. Siegel and Kuykendall (1990) showed that in a study of 825 elderly men and women, widowed men with recent nonspousal familial loss who did not belong to a church were the most depressed. An additional factor shown to affect bereavement and adjustment to the death of a spouse, is involvement in caregiving. Schultz, Beach, Lind, and Martire (2001) reported that over two million people die in the United States per year and most of these deaths are found among the elderly who have one or more disabling condition. Thus typically the death of a disabled elderly person is preceded by extended periods of receiving caregiving by the spouse or other family member. The authors studied 129 individuals ages 66 to 96 years whose spouse died during a four-year follow-up. Findings were that depression test scores remained high with no change among the strained caregiver group, but depression test scores increased for noncaregiver and nonstrained caregiver groups. Thus caregiving was a factor in the bereavement process. Elderly Gender Differences Bierhals, Prigerson, Fasiczka, and Frank (1995)
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Approximate Word count = 1777
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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