Do Social Relationships Buffer the Effects of Widowhood? A Prospective Study of Adaptation to the Loss of a Spouse

摘要

ObjectiveThe idea that strong social relationships can buffer the negative effects of stresson well-being has received much attention in existing literature. However, previous studies have used less than ideal research designs to test this hypothesis, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding these buffering effects. In this study we examined the buffering hypothesis in the context of reaction and adaptation to widowhood in three large longitudinal datasets.