A Study on the Psychological Recovery Process and Coping of Elderly Widowers Bereaved of Their Spouses

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K12403
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Muroya Kazuko 佐賀大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50299640)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 熊谷 有記 佐賀大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10382433) ; 田島 司 北九州市立大学, 文学部, 教授 (40364145) ; 田渕 康子 佐賀大学, 医学部, 教授 (90382431)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: bereavement / coping / elderly widower

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to clarify the psychological processes and coping elderly widowers following bereavement. Progress on the study was delayed due to Covid-19. However, by 2020, 9 men and 3 women were interviewed for comparison. The interview data were analyzed using qualitative methods to clarify the coping of elderly widowers after bereavement. Based on these results, a survey questionnaire was developed to clarify the relationship between coping after bereavement and mental health in a quantitative study. The researchers completed the questionnaire and conducted a questionnaire survey of elderly people living in the region in 2021. A total of 1,000 copies of the questionnaire were distributed. Of these, 864 copies were collected, and data from 212 bereaved persons were analyzed.

Free Research Field

看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

配偶者と死別した男性高齢者の健康問題は深刻であり死別後も残りの余生を健やかにその人らしく生活するための支援は重要な課題であるが，先行研究において高齢女性の死別後に関する研究は多くみられるが男性を対象としたものは少ない．本研究により，死別後に趣味や役割を持つことが死別後の適応を促進するための対処行動となりうるとの示唆を得た．加えて男性は女性に比べて死別後の精神的健康の得点が低いことや死別後の対処に特徴がみられることが明らかとなった．これらの結果は，男性高齢者が配偶者との死別後に社会生活への適応を促進するための支援モデルの開発の重要な知見になりうると考える．