ANXIETY AMONG WIDOWED ELDERS - IS IT DISTINCT FROM DEPRESSION AND GRIEF

Citation
Hg. Prigerson et al., ANXIETY AMONG WIDOWED ELDERS - IS IT DISTINCT FROM DEPRESSION AND GRIEF, Anxiety, 2(1), 1996, pp. 1-12
Citations number
55
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
ISSN journal
10709797
Volume
2
Issue
1
Year of publication
1996
Pages
1 - 12
Database
ISI
SICI code
1070-9797(1996)2:1<1:AAWE-I>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the validity and utility of dist inguishing symptoms of anxiety from those of depression and grief in r ecently spousally bereaved elders. We also examined pathways from base line (six months or less post-spousal death) to follow-up (12 and 18 m onths post-death) levels of anxiety, depression and grief-related symp toms. Baseline and follow-up data were available om Sd recently widowe d elderly subjects recruited for an investigation of physiological cha nges in bereavement. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a mod el in which anxiety was specified as a third factor, apart from depres sion and grief factors, fit the data well and significantly better tha n either the one or two factor models. Path analyses revealed that bot h baseline severity of grief and anxiety had significant lagged effect s and predicted follow-up severity of depression. Symptoms of anxiety appeared distinct from those of depression and grief, and the anxiety, depression and grief factors differentially predicted subsequent symp tomatoloy. These Findings suggest a need for more specific identificat ion and treatment of anxiety, depression and grief symptoms within the context of late-life spousal bereavement. Anxiety 2:1-12 (1996). (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.