The relationships between the adjustment of the widowed and social support, self-esteem, grief experience, and selected demographic variables

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between adjustment of widowed persons and self-esteem, social support, the grief experience, and specific demographic variables. The sample consisted of persons widowed in 1979 or the first six months of 1980 who resided in Anderson County, Tennessee. Mailed questionnaires collected data from 58 persons on adjustment, self-esteem, social support, organizational involvement, the grief experience, and demographic variables.

The data were analyzed using chi-square, gamma, lambda, and frequencies and percentages. Gamma and lambda were important for their predictive properties.

Relationships were found between adjustment and nine scales on the Grief Experience Inventory and personal self-esteem. In addition, relationships were found between sex and eight of the social support questions, with males indicating less interpersonal support than females. A relationship was also found between sex and remarriage with males remarrying more frequently than females.

From these findings, the following conclusions were

1. Adjustment to widowhood is a lengthy process, and widowed persons may continue to experience adjustment problems for more than one year.

2. While research cited in the review of literature indicated variables (age, sex, parental status, education, income, anticipatory grief, social support, and length of bereavement) which were related to adjustment 13 months after the death of a spouse, these variables do not appear to be related to adjustment over longer periods of time.

3. However, certain grief experiences do appear to be related to adjustment, and these are reflected in the physical, emotional, and social realms of the widowed person's life.

4. Males appear to have less interpersonal support than females.

5. Personal self-esteem appears to be more important to adjustment than general or social self-esteem.