Adjustment to spousal bereavement : A5-year longitudinal study

本研究旨在揭示丧偶者如何以及何时应对丧亲之痛。该研究包括三次纵向调查，分别在2000年和2002年对276名受试者进行了调查，在2005年对135名受试者（55名男性和80名女性）进行了调查。在“是否已经从丧妻之痛中恢复过来”的问题上，回答“完全恢复过来”的人数随着调查的重复而增加，在2005年的调查中，回答“完全恢复过来”的人数达到了60%。因此，在应对丧亲之痛时，丧亲之痛过去的时间长短在意识层面上起着至关重要的作用。为了评估心理健康状况，将1893名未丧偶的男性和女性作为对照组进行比较。丧亲组的心理健康状况明显差于对照组。尤其是那些一开始表现出中度恶化的老年人，在调查的五年内几乎没有好转。另一方面，控制组在心理健康方面表现出更好的结果，尽管他们确实表现出严重的退化。综上所述，丧亲之人的恢复主要体现在意识层面，而在心理健康层面上有所局限。为了进行定性评价，该调查进一步对21名在第三次调查中被视为日常生活困难的男性进行了调查。许多人认为他们已经从悲伤中恢复过来，但有些人清楚地意识到他们还没有。有些人认为坚强的心态有助于应对丧亲之痛，但有些人则认为是哭泣。丧偶男性的心理状态和对待丧妻的方式各不相同。

This study was conducted to reveal how and when the bereaved cope with grief of spousal bereavement. The study consisted with three longitudinal surveys with 276 subjects in 2000 and 2002, and 135 subjects (55 male and 80 female) in 2005.1. To the question of if they have recovered from grief of spousal bereavement, the increased number of people answered "completely recovered" as the survey was repeated, where in the survey of 2005, the number reached to 60 % of the subject. Therefore in coping with bereavement, length of time passed since the bereavement played a vital role on consciousness level.2. To evaluate psychological well-being, 1893 non-bereaved male and female were compared as a control group. The bereaved group was distinctly worse in psychological well-being than the control group. Especially the older people who at first showed moderate deterioration hardly became better within five years period of the survey. On the other hand, the control group showed better result in mental health even though they did show great degradation. In conclusion recovery of the bereaved was seen in consciousness level but were limited on the level of psychological well-being.3. To evaluate qualitatively, the survey was further conducted with 21 male who, at the third survey, especially were seen to have hardship in daily life. Many thought they had recovered from grief but some were clearly aware they had not. Some felt it was strong mentality that helps to cope with the bereavement, but for some it was to cry. Mentality of those men bereaved of their wives varies greatly as well as their way of coping with bereavement.