The Widowhood Effect: What To Know

You’ve seen it on TV and in the movies. One member of an elderly couple passes away and the spouse follows only a few days later, seemingly of a broken heart. While this may sound romantic in the confines of fiction, it is actually based on a real condition called the widowhood effect. 

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What is the Widowhood Effect?

The widowhood effect describes a phenomenon in which an elderly adult grieving a spouse’s death is significantly more likely to pass away than one whose spouse is alive. This is not hyperbole – studies conducted in 2013 and 2008 both show a significant increase in mortality risk for the surviving partner in the first three months after losing a spouse. The statistics are the same for both men and women. 

Causes of the Widower Effect

While scientists aren’t sure of the exact cause of the widowhood effect, they can point to several possible contributing factors. Some of them are:

• The physical and mental tolls of being a caregiver. Being a caregiver is exhausting and self-care tends to take a back seat. This behavior can carry on into the grieving process – a time that is just as difficult in a different way. Losing sleep, not eating, or forgetting to take medications can contribute to poor health. 
• The effects of grief. Certainly widowhood and grief go hand in hand, and grief comes with its own very real physical symptoms. They can include losing weight, inability to sleep, and even lowered immunity. A 2018 study found that both men and women experience increased inflammation in their bodies due to intense grief after the loss of a spouse. Inflammation can lead to serious health risks like heart attacks and stroke. 
• A lack of community and social support. If the deceased spouse is the one that generally took care of the social calendar, the sudden lack of support can have a huge impact on the surviving spouse’s mental health. Loneliness and depression are known to exacerbate physical health conditions and increase health risks. 
• Changes in the environment. Losing a spouse is already a huge change in environment – which may then lead to moving in with a family member or moving into an assisted living community. While some of these changes can have benefits, they can also cause stress.

In addition to these potential scenarios, women are more likely to experience takotsubo cardiomyopathy, colloquially known as “broken heart syndrome.” Broken heart syndrome occurs when the heart muscles are weakened after experiencing extreme stress – whether it is physical or mental. Luckily, the condition is reversible. 

Coping with the loss of a spouse is exceptionally challenging. Here are some tips to help work through the grieving process:

• Talk to a licensed mental health professional. They can help you work through your emotions and figure out what to do next. Churches, community centers, and assisted living facilities also often host support groups which can also be helpful. 
• Increase your self-care, especially if you have not taken care of yourself for awhile. 
• Stay busy. Routines may change with the loss of a spouse but there are still ways to fill up the day. Avoid the trap of sitting alone in the house and simply thinking. 
• Adopt a pet. Having another living being in the house can give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and pets are filled with unconditional love. Many shelters have programs to help seniors foster and care for senior animals to the benefit of both. 
• Stay social. Spending time with other will help counteract the widowhood effect and benefits mental health in general. It can also get you out of the house and keep you busy.