College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Omega (Westport). 2010;61(4):333-56. doi: 10.2190/OM.61.4.e.
The intent of this study was to examine if length of caregiving was associated with older widowers' adjustment to bereavement and to identify factors, based on principles underlying the Dual Process Model of Bereavement, that might mitigate the potential adverse effects of time spent caring. Two-hundred men over the age of 60 and in the second year of bereavement were identified from death records of older women who had died within a 12-month period. Interviews lasted about 2 hours and focused on widowers' experiences surrounding their wives' deaths along with questions about social support, health, retirement, and other demographic information. The Bradburn Affect Scale was used to measure positive and negative affect. Restoration-oriented coping, such as starting new relationships and activities were measured. These variables included extent of family contact, number of friends, having a confidante, involvement with neighbors, and participation in sports and clubs. Time since death and demographic variables were used as controls. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted on positive and negative affect after which potentially moderating effects were analyzed. Results indicated that the most important influences on negative affect were time since death, ethnicity, and participation in clubs while for positive affect the most significant factors included length of caregiving, number of friends, and having a confidante. Although no interaction effects were significant, patterns emerged. Implications for applying the DPM with older bereaved men are made.
本研究旨在探讨丧偶时间是否与老年丧偶者对丧偶的适应有关，并根据丧亲双过程模型的基本原则，确定可能减轻照顾时间潜在负面影响的因素。从在 12 个月内死亡的老年女性的死亡记录中确定了 200 名年龄在 60 岁以上且丧偶 2 年的男性。访谈持续约 2 小时，重点关注丧偶者围绕妻子去世的经历，以及关于社会支持、健康、退休和其他人口统计信息的问题。使用 Bradburn 情感量表测量积极和消极情绪。采用恢复导向的应对方式，如开始新的关系和活动。这些变量包括家庭联系的程度、朋友的数量、有知己、与邻居的互动以及参与体育和俱乐部活动。死亡时间和人口统计变量用作对照。对积极和消极情绪进行了层次线性回归，然后分析了潜在的调节效应。结果表明，对消极情绪影响最大的因素是死亡时间、种族和参与俱乐部，而对积极情绪影响最大的因素包括照顾时间、朋友数量和知己。尽管没有交互效应显著，但出现了一些模式。提出了将丧亲双过程模型应用于老年丧偶男性的意义。
