Types of bereavement and depressive symptoms among older adults: Does race/ethnicity matter?

Abstract

AimTo explore racial/ethnic differences in relation between types of bereavement and depressive symptoms among older adults in the USA.MethodsThe sample limited to racially/ethnically diverse adults aged ≥55 (n = 879) was drawn from the third wave of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). The NSHAP provides self‐identified racial/ethnic categories (non‐Hispanic Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics) of respondents who were categorized into three groups by experience of bereavement: non‐loss, spousal loss, and parental loss. Using the weights, a two‐way analysis of covariance with Bonferroni post‐test was conducted to explore the main effect of types of loss and race/ethnicity and their interaction effects on depressive symptoms.ResultsSpousal loss reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than non‐loss or parental loss. Based on the interaction between types of loss and race/ethnicity; however, distinctive patterns were observed. Blacks and Hispanics who lose a parent reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than non‐Hispanic Whites did.ConclusionsAn increase in depressive symptoms after bereavement manifested distinctively based on racial/ethnic background and the relationship with the deceased. This implies that it is necessary to develop coping strategies concerning race/ethnicity and whom they lose. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 266–272.