The multidimensional nature of resilience to spousal loss

Abstract

Spousal loss can be one of the most devastating events to occur across one's life, resulting in difficulties across different spheres of adjustment; yet, past research on resilience to bereavement has primarily focused on single adjustment indicators. We applied growth mixture modeling to data from 421 participants from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia Study who experienced spousal loss during the course of the study to examine (a) the extent to which individuals appear to be resilient across 3 indicators of subjective well-being-life satisfaction, negative affect, and positive affect, and 2 indicators of health-perceptions of general health and physical functioning-and (b) factors that might promote resilience. Approximately 66%, 19% and 26% individuals showed resilient trajectories, respectively, for life satisfaction, negative affect, and positive affect, whereas 37% and 28% showed resilience, respectively, for perceptions of general health and physical functioning. When we considered all 5 indicators simultaneously, only 8% showed "multidimensional" resilience, whereas 20% showed a non-resilient trajectory across all 5 indicators. The strongest predictors of resilient trajectories were continued engagement in everyday life activities and in social relationships, followed by anticipation that people would comfort them in times of distress. Overall, our findings demonstrate that resilience in the face of spousal bereavement is less common than previously thought. More importantly, they underscore the critical importance of multidimensional approaches while operationalizing doing well in the context of serious life adversities. (PsycINFO Database Record

Figure 1

Graphical representation of the structural equation model for our analyses for examining changes in life satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect, general health, and physical functioning before and after spousal loss. We estimated three latent factors: pre-spousal loss level, pre-spousal loss change, and post-spousal loss change. Pre-spousal loss level refers to how individuals may report varying levels of life satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect, general health, and physical functioning five years prior to spousal loss. Pre-spousal loss change refers to the total amount of change in life satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect, general health, and physical functioning change in the years prior to spousal loss. Post-spousal loss change refers to the total amount of change following spousal loss and whether individuals are able to return back to their previous levels of functioning. The factor loadings for level are all set to 1 and the factor loadings that are not labeled for pre-spousal loss change and post-spousal loss change are freely estimated. We estimated the variances in pre-spousal loss level, pre-spousal loss change, and post-spousal loss change to vary within and between groups in the GMM analyses. We used observations of life satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect, general health, and physical functioning that were taken five years prior to and five years following spousal loss (Y).

Figure 2

Model implied trajectories for changes in life satisfaction (A), negative affect (B), positive affect (C), general health (D), and physical functioning (E) before and after spousal loss for the classes identified. 2 sub-groups were identified for life satisfaction, with 66% of the sample likely to be resilient, whereas 34% showed substantial and sustained declines. For negative affect (B), three sub-groups were identified, with only 19% of the sample likely to belong to the resilient class. Changes in positive affect (C) before and after spousal loss were characterized by two sub-groups, with 26% belonging to the resilient class and 74% showing substantial and sustained declines in positive affect. 2 sub-groups were identified for general health (D), with 37% of the sample likely to be resilient, whereas 63% showed chronic low levels. For physical functioning (E), three sub-groups were identified, with only 28% of the sample likely to belong to the resilient class.

Figure 3

Illustrating within- and between-group variability for changes in life satisfaction before and after spousal loss for the two sub-groups, resilient (A) and recovery (B). Model implied trajectories for members of each sub-group are shown.

Figure 4

Illustrating within- and between-group variability for changes in negative affect before and after spousal loss for the three sub-groups, resilient (A), recovery (B) and chronic high (C). Model implied trajectories for members of each sub-group are shown.

Figure 5

Illustrating within- and between-group variability for changes in positive affect before and after spousal loss for the two sub-groups, resilient (A) and recovery (B). Model implied trajectories for members of each sub-group are shown.

Figure 6

Illustrating within- and between-group variability for changes in general health before and after spousal loss for the two sub-groups, resilient (A) and chronic low (B). Model implied trajectories for members of each sub-group are shown.

Figure 7

Illustrating within- and between-group variability for changes in physical functioning before and after spousal loss for the three sub-groups, resilient (A), delayed (B), and recovery (C). Model implied trajectories for members of each sub-group are shown.