Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:608-611
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
Depressive episodes and dysphoria resulting from conjugal bereavement in a prospective community sample
ML Bruce, K Kim, PJ Leaf and S Jacobs
Department of Epidemiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Using three waves of interviews from the New Haven Epidemiologic Catchment
Area Program, the authors contrast the extent and nature of depressive
episodes and dysphoria between newly bereaved (N = 39) and married (N =
1,047) respondents age 45 and older. Bereavement greatly increased the risk
of both conditions. This observation did not appear to be an artifact
because psychosocial risk factors were similar for the bereaved and married
groups. Bereavement increased the risk for a depressive episode more among
respondents who reported no prior dysphoria than among those who did. Among
those meeting criteria for depression, the bereaved reported symptoms
similar to those of the married group except for significantly fewer
reports of guilt.
