Being a widow can be good for a woman's health because
they suffer less stress after her husband dies, according to
new research.
Women who have lost a spouse are much less likely to
suffer frailty in their twilight years than peers whose
partners are still very much alive.
But the same is not the case for men who become more at
risk of wasting away once their wife dies - possibly because
they have become over reliant on them.
Dr Caterina Trevisan, of the University of Padova, said the
presence of a wife may bring benefits for men in terms of
household management and healthcare, whereas women
are 'more likely to feel stressed and find their role
restrictive and frustrating.'
She explained: 'Since women generally have a longer
lifespan than men, married women may also suffer from
the effects of caregiver burden, since they often devote
themselves to caring for their husband in later life.'
Dr Trevisan said these factors may be behind the lower risk
of depression in unmarried women following research
revealing women had more marital problems and less
wellness in marriage than men.
The same study also found single women experienced less
discomfort than bachelors, greater job satisfaction and
higher activity levels at work, and a lower risk of social
isolation, as they maintained stronger relationships with
family or friends.
Dr Trevisan said: 'Consistently with this picture, the higher
educational level and better economic status seen among
the single women in our study may well reflect a social
condition that would promote a greater psychological and
physical well being.
'Finally, widows cope better than widowers with the stress
deriving from the loss of a partner and widowhood, with a
significant increase in the risk of depression only in the
latter.
'Many studies have shown that women are less vulnerable
to depression than men in widowhood, probably because
they have greater coping resources and are better able to
express their emotions.
'These aspects may help to explain the lower risk of
exhaustion seen in single women, who are likewise more
socially integrated than single men, and consequently less
exposed to frailty.'
