배우자와의 사별로 인한 스트레스 및 사회적 지지가 우울감에 미치는 영향

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe general patterns of loss-related stress, social support, and depression of women who have lost their spouses and to examine an effect of social support in the course of adaptation to the conjugal bereavement during the first 7 years of their widowhood. The subject was composed of 97 women aged 29 to 59, without any experience of remarriage or cohabitation. Loss-related stress, social support were measured with scales adapted and modified for the purpose of the study from several measures frequently used in previous studies of stress and social support. Depression was measured with CES-D. The major findings of the study were as follows: 1. Role-related strains(63.9%), financial strains(52.6%), relational strains(42.3%), and emotional strains(30.9%) were reported as the four most stressful life experiences assumed to be caused by the death of the spouse. 2. Parents and siblings(70.1%), friends(68.0%), neighbors, coworkers, religious groups(48.5%), children(40.2%), and in-laws(26.8%) were the 5 key supporters. The bereaved were found to have a mean of 5.32 supporters. In spite of the quantitative differences in each of the support provided, 91.8% of the bereaved received emotional support and 84.5% of them received financial support. 3. Depression was measured with the CES-D. The 91.8% of the subject were assessed as normal by the cut-off point of the scale. 4. Sociodemographic characteristics did not have a significant effect on .loss-related stress, social support, and depression in general. However, several effects were found: The higher the income, the more the emotional support offered to the bereaved. The longer the time had elapsed since the loss of the spouse, the less likely the bereaved had relational strains. The older the bereaved and the longer the time since the loss of the spouse, the more the support from their children. 5. Emotional strains were found to be moderated by financial support. Emotional support, on the other hand, had no moderating effect at all. 6. Those who suffered relational strains were likely to have parents and siblings as their supporters, and these supporters were found to mediate the emotional and financial support provided to the bereaved. However, the support provided had no significant effect on reducing depression level of the bereaved. 7. Those who had financial strains were likely to have neighbors, coworkers, and religious groups as their supporters. 8. Neighbors, coworkers, and religious groups had a direct effect on depression level irrespective of various strains experienced by the bereaved. Furthermore, they suppressed the effect financial strains had on depression.