Adjustment to spousal bereavement and successful aging

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The objective of this study was to prove the hypothesis that successful aging was predicted by the recovering process during the first few years of bereavement. Interview study was held three times in sixteen years after bereavement, for which subject was 184 middle and old aged people : average age was 70.9 and the time since the separation was 8 months. The second interviews with 136 interviewees were held one year after, and the third interviews with 51 interviewees were held 15 years after the first interviews respectively.We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis. Indices for successful aging (wholesomeness, mental health and psychological liveliness scale)were the dependable variables, and the indices for bereavement recovery (transformation of depression and loneliness scale) was the independent variables.Results showed that the depression level at the first interview was a significant factor to predict the sickness and death at the second interview, however such was not the case at the third interview. Furthermore, loneliness was found to be an important factor when predicting mental health and welfare at the third interview. When the level of loneliness increased by the second interview than at the first, it was revealed that there was a risk in sickness and death for the third interview. If the level of loneliness increased or remained high after bereavement, the mental health condition during the third interview was found to be poor. On the other hand, as loneliness decreased, welfare during the third interview became higher. We concluded that a change in loneliness after bereavement was the key factor in suggesting the process of successful aging.