Data from a longitudinal study were used to examine what happens to caregiv
ers in the years after their cognitively impaired spouse dies. Comparisons
of 42 current caregivers, 49 former caregivers, and 52 noncaregivers over a
4-year period showed that former caregivers did not improve on several mea
sures of psychological well-being. Although former caregivers experienced d
ecreases in stress and negative affect, their scores on depression, lonelin
ess, and positive affect did not rebound to levels comparable to noncaregiv
ers and, in fact, remained similar to those of current caregivers up to 3 y
ears after caregiving had ceased. The most consistent predictors of postcar
egiving outcomes were social support and intrusive-avoidant thinking about
caregiving. The data suggest that some consequences of long-term caregiving
may be long-term as well. The needs of former spousal caregivers warrant g
reater attention both in research and in practice.