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Makiuchi T, Kakizaki M, Sobue T, Kitamura T, Yatsuya H, Yamaji T, Iwasaki M, Inoue M, Tsugane S, Sawada N. Mortality after partner's cancer diagnosis or death: A population-based prospective cohort study in Japan. J Epidemiol 2024:JE20240114. [PMID: 39183033 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20240114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health statuses of closely connected individuals are interdependent. Little is known about mortality risk associated with partner's cancer diagnosis and cause-specific mortality risk associated with partner's death. METHODS Relative risks for all-cause and cause-specific mortality following a partner's cancer diagnosis or death compared to the period when the partner is cancer-free and alive were investigated in the population-based prospective cohort study that enrolled 140,420 people at the age between 40-69 in 1990-1994. RESULTS 55,050 participants (27,665 men and 27,385 women) who were identified as married couples were followed-up for 1,073,746.1 (518,368.5 in men and 555,377.6 in women) person-years, during which 9,816 deaths (7,217 in men and 2,599 in women) were observed. After a partner's cancer diagnosis, the mortality rate ratio (MRR) of all-cause mortality was not increased among both men and women, while an increase of externally-caused MRR was observed. The suicide MRR significantly increased among men (MRR = 2.90 [95% CI, 1.70-4.93]) and it persisted for more than 5 years. After a partner's death, the MRRs of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease (RD), and externally-caused mortality significantly increased only among men. Stratified analysis by smoking status among men showed significantly increased MRRs of CVD and RD mortality among former/current smokers, but not among never-smokers. CONCLUSION Partner's cancer diagnosis did not increase all-cause mortality risk, but increased externally-caused mortality risk, especially suicide among men. The impact of partner's death on mortality risk differed by the mortality causes and sex, and smoking affected some of cause-specific mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Makiuchi
- Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
| | - Masako Kakizaki
- Department of Medical Education, Nagoya City University School of Medicine
| | - Tomotaka Sobue
- Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
| | - Tetsuhisa Kitamura
- Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
| | - Hiroshi Yatsuya
- Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Taiki Yamaji
- Division of Epidemiology, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
| | - Motoki Iwasaki
- Division of Epidemiology, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
- Division of Cohort Research, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
| | - Manami Inoue
- Division of Cohort Research, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
- Division of Prevention, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
| | - Shoichiro Tsugane
- Division of Cohort Research, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
- International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School of Public Health
| | - Norie Sawada
- Division of Cohort Research, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control
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2
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Buckley T. Person-centred end-of-life and bereavement care in the intensive care unit: The need to consider all persons. Aust Crit Care 2024; 37:517-518. [PMID: 38871424 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2024.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Buckley
- Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Building MO2, NSW 2065, Australia.
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3
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Sadino JM, Donaldson ZR. Prairie voles as a model for adaptive reward remodeling following loss of a bonded partner. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1535:20-30. [PMID: 38594916 PMCID: PMC11334365 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Loss of a loved one is a painful event that substantially elevates the risk for physical and mental illness and impaired daily function. Socially monogamous prairie voles are laboratory-amenable rodents that form life-long pair bonds and exhibit distress upon partner separation, mirroring phenotypes seen in humans. These attributes make voles an excellent model for studying the biology of loss. In this review, we highlight parallels between humans and prairie voles, focusing on reward system engagement during pair bonding and loss. As yearning is a unique feature that differentiates loss from other negative mental states, we posit a model in which the homeostatic reward mechanisms that help to maintain bonds are disrupted upon loss, resulting in yearning and other negative impacts. Finally, we synthesize studies in humans and voles that delineate the remodeling of reward systems during loss adaptation. The stalling of these processes likely contributes to prolonged grief disorder, a diagnosis recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Sadino
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Zoe R. Donaldson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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Huang C, Peng J, Lee PMY, Wang C, Wei K, Liang M, Qin G, Yu Y, Li J. Sibling Death in Childhood and Early Adulthood and Risk of Early-Onset Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2350814. [PMID: 38190182 PMCID: PMC10774991 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Sibling death is a highly traumatic event, but empirical evidence on the association of sibling death in childhood and early adulthood with subsequent risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains limited. Objective To evaluate the association between sibling death in the early decades of life and subsequent risk of incident early-onset CVD. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cohort study included 2 098 659 individuals born in Denmark from 1978 to 2018. Follow-up started at age 1 year or the date of the first sibling's birth, whichever occurred later, and it ended at the first diagnosis of CVD, the date of death, emigration, or December 31, 2018, whichever came first. Data analyses were conducted from November 1, 2021, through January 10, 2022. Exposures The death of a sibling. Main Outcomes and Measures The outcome was early-onset CVD. Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs. Results This study included 2 098 659 individuals (1 076 669 [51.30%] male; median [IQR] age at death of sibling, 11.48 [4.68-21.32] years). During the median (IQR) follow-up of 17.52 (8.85-26.05) years, 1286 and 76 862 individuals in the bereaved and nonbereaved groups, respectively, were diagnosed with CVD. Sibling death in childhood and early adulthood was associated with a 17% increased risk of overall CVD (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.23; cumulative incidence in bereaved individuals, 1.96% [1.61%-2.34%]; cumulative incidence in nonbereaved individuals at age 41 years, 1.35% [1.34%-1.37%]; cumulative incidence difference: 0.61% [95% CI, 0.24%-0.98%]). Increased risks were also observed for most type-specific CVDs, in particular for myocardial infarction (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.12-2.46), ischemic heart disease (HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.22-1.90), and heart failure (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.00-2.26). The association was observed whether the sibling died due to CVD (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 2.04-3.17) or non-CVD (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06-1.19) causes. The increased risk of CVD was more pronounced for individuals who lost a twin or younger sibling (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15-1.36) than an elder sibling (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.20). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of the Danish population, sibling death in childhood and early adulthood was associated with increased risks of overall and most type-specific early-onset CVDs, with the strength of associations varying by cause of death and age difference between sibling pairs. The findings highlight the need for extra attention and support to the bereaved siblings to reduce CVD risk later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiahuan Peng
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Priscilla Ming Yi Lee
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Ce Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kecheng Wei
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minhong Liang
- Shanghai Hongkou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoyou Qin
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongfu Yu
- Department of Biostatistics, Key Laboratory for Health Technology Assessment, National Commission of Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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5
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Palitsky R, Chen ZJ, Rentscher KE, Friedman SE, Wilson DMT, Ruiz JM, Sullivan D, Grant GH, O'Connor M. Associations of religious and existential variables with psychosocial factors and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in bereavement. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14014. [PMID: 37840393 PMCID: PMC10776136 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bereavement increases in prevalence as people age and is associated with multiple psychological and health risks, including cardiovascular risk. Religious and existential variables may play an important role in the health impacts of bereavement. Theorized pathways linking religious and existential variables with health have suggested these associations are due to intermediary psychosocial variables, but have not been tested in bereavement. This research empirically tested these pathways in a bereaved population. In N = 73 adults within 1 year of bereavement (mean age = 64.36), this study examined associations between (1) religious and existential characteristics (religious and spiritual struggles, intrinsic religiosity, and existential quest) and intermediary psychosocial variables (depression, loneliness, and difficulties in emotion regulation), and between (2) intermediary psychosocial variables and bereavement-relevant health outcomes (self-reported health, change in health since last year, grief severity, and cardiovascular biomarkers). Cardiovascular biomarkers (heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood pressure) were collected before, during, and after a laboratory grief recall emotion elicitation. Anticipated associations between self-reported religious and existential characteristics and intermediary variables, and between intermediary variables and self-reported bereavement-relevant outcomes, were consistently observed. However, associations between intermediary variables and cardiovascular biomarkers were largely unobserved. This study examined the role of religious and existential variables in whole-person health after bereavement and is among the first to include biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. Results suggest that although religious and existential variables are associated with important bereavement-related outcomes, these associations may be "skin-deep," and extensions to cardiovascular functioning should be re-examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Palitsky
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizonaUSA
- Emory UniversitySpiritual Health, Woodruff Health Sciences CenterAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Zhuo Job Chen
- School of NursingUniversity of North Carolina, CharlotteCharlotteNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kelly E. Rentscher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral MedicineMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | | | | | - John M. Ruiz
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizonaUSA
| | - Daniel Sullivan
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizonaUSA
| | - George H. Grant
- Emory UniversitySpiritual Health, Woodruff Health Sciences CenterAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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6
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Nilaweera D, Gurvich C, Freak-Poli R, Woods RL, Owen A, McNeil J, Nelson M, Stocks N, Ryan J. The association between adverse events in later life and mortality in older individuals. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100210. [PMID: 37753199 PMCID: PMC10518669 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Stress can have adverse impacts on health, particularly when it is chronic or resulting from major adverse events. Our study investigated whether relatively common adverse events in older individuals were associated with an increased risk of death, as well as cause-specific death and potential gender differences. Methods Participants were 12896 community-dwelling Australians aged ≥70 years at enrolment into the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study and without known life-limiting disease. A questionnaire administered in the year after enrolment, collected information on ten adverse events experienced in the past year. Mortality status was verified by multiple sources including health records and the National Death Index across a maximum of 10 years. Underlying causes of death were determined using clinical information by two adjudicators. Cox-proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate mortality risk. Results Two of the ten adverse events were associated with an increased risk of mortality in fully adjusted models. A 69% increased risk of mortality was observed in participants who reported their spouse/partner had recently died (95% CI: 1.19-2.39, P < 0.01). Cancer-related but not cardiovascular deaths also increased. Participants with a seriously ill spouse/partner also had a 23% increased risk of mortality (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.02-1.48, P = 0.03). There was a tendency for these associations to be stronger among men than women. Limitations Perceived stress and cortisol were not measured, thus limiting our understanding of the psychological and physiological impacts of adverse events. Conclusions Experiencing adverse events in later-life, especially the death of a spouse/partner, may be a risk factor for earlier mortality. These findings may increase public health awareness and better inform initiatives for particular groups, including bereaved men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinuli Nilaweera
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rosanne Freak-Poli
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robyn L. Woods
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alice Owen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - John McNeil
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark Nelson
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Nigel Stocks
- Discipline of General Practice, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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7
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Chai HW, Jester DJ, Lee S, Joo S, Umberson DJ, Almeida DM. Sleep quality moderates the association between family bereavement and heart rate variability. J Behav Med 2023; 46:622-631. [PMID: 36580185 PMCID: PMC10307926 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-022-00388-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Two separate bodies of literature point to the link between family bereavement and cardiovascular health and between sleep quality and cardiovascular outcomes. However, less is known about the joint influence of family bereavement and sleep quality on cardiovascular functioning. The aims of this study were to examine the relationships between experiencing the death of a family member and heart rate variability (HRV) and to further explore whether these associations differ by sleep quality. Using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Biomarker Project, the sample for this study included respondents who experienced the death of an immediate family member - father, mother, spouse, sibling, or child - within a year before the Biomarker project and those who did not experience any deaths (N = 962). We used two measures of HRV and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results showed that experiencing the death of a family member was associated with worse HRV only among those with poor sleep quality and not for those with good sleep quality. These results suggest that poor sleep quality may indicate psychophysiological vulnerability for those who experienced the death of a family member. Interventions to improve sleep quality could be effective in enhancing cardiovascular health of bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Won Chai
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Dylan J Jester
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Soomi Lee
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Susanna Joo
- BK21 Symbiotic Society and Design, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Debra J Umberson
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David M Almeida
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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8
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Zhang N, Sandler I, Thieleman K, Wolchik S, O'Hara K. Self-Compassion for Caregivers of Children in Parentally Bereaved Families: A Theoretical Model and Intervention Example. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:430-444. [PMID: 36920631 PMCID: PMC10866557 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00431-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Family-based bereavement interventions have shown promises to prevent problem outcomes and promote resilience in parentally bereaved children. Evidence of the broad range of mental and physical health problems following the death of a parent supports the need for a transdiagnostic approach that promotes adaptation and reduces multiple problem outcomes for parentally bereaved families. We discuss self-compassion as a promising framework for a transdiagnostic approach. We argue that three elements of self-compassion-mindfulness (vs. over-identification), self-kindness (vs. self-judgment), and common humanity (vs. isolation)-can facilitate loss-oriented coping, restoration-oriented coping, and the oscillation process between the two. This sets the foundation for individual and family processes that support bereavement adjustment. To explain how self-compassion promotes adjustment outcomes in parentally bereaved families, we review the extant literature with a focus on parental emotion regulation and effective parenting and propose a conceptual model with testable hypotheses to guide more research in this area. The model suggests that caregivers' self-compassion is a resilience resource for multiple adaptive outcomes for themselves and for their child through its positive impacts on emotion regulation and effective parenting. We illustrate the utility of the framework with an example of a family-based bereavement prevention program that integrated self-compassion training. Future directions for research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT, USA.
| | - Irwin Sandler
- REACH Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Kara Thieleman
- REACH Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Karey O'Hara
- REACH Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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9
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Chen H, Janszky I, Rostila M, Wei D, Yang F, Li J, László KD. Bereavement in childhood and young adulthood and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a population-based cohort study from Denmark and Sweden. BMC Med 2023; 21:8. [PMID: 36600284 PMCID: PMC9814172 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02707-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood life events are associated with increased risks of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke later in life. Limited evidence also suggests that stress in adulthood may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether childhood adversity may lead to the development of AF is unknown. We investigated whether the loss of a parent or sibling in childhood is associated with an increased risk of AF and compared this effect to that of similar losses in young adulthood. METHODS We studied 6,394,975 live-born individuals included in the Danish (1973-2018) and Swedish Medical Birth Registers (1973-2014). We linked data from several national registers to obtain information on the death of parents and siblings and on personal and familial sociodemographic and health-related factors. We analyzed the association between bereavement and AF using Poisson regression. RESULTS Loss of a parent or sibling was associated with an increased AF risk both when the loss occurred in childhood and in adulthood; the adjusted incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 1.24 (1.14-1.35) and 1.24 (1.16-1.33), respectively. Bereavement in childhood was associated with AF only if losses were due to cardiovascular diseases or other natural causes, while loss in adulthood was associated with AF not only in case of natural deaths, but also unnatural deaths. The associations did not differ substantially according to age at loss and whether the deceased was a parent or a sibling. CONCLUSIONS Bereavement both in childhood and in adulthood was associated with an increased AF risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Chen
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Imre Janszky
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mikael Rostila
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dang Wei
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fen Yang
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine - Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Krisztina D László
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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10
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Hackett SE, de Medeiros K. Till Death Do Us Part?: Exploring the Social Convoys of Conjugally Bereaved Women. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:2317-2325. [PMID: 35976106 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The hierarchical mapping technique (HMT) is used to study social convoys, peoples' support systems. Recent research integrating the HMT and the continuing bonds framework suggests that deceased persons may be influential convoy members. Extending this idea, the current study aimed to gain insight regarding how older conjugally bereaved women view the role of a deceased romantic partner in their convoy. METHODS The study utilized a qualitative descriptive approach. Twenty heterosexual women (mean age = 78 years, range = 65-93 years), recruited via social media and snowball sampling, participated in one 90-min interview. Each discussed their bereavement journey and completed an HMT diagram to comment on how, if at all, their deceased romantic partner was part of their social convoy and their place within it. RESULTS Fifteen of the 20 women placed the deceased in the innermost circle of the diagram, with them yet separate from other convoy members. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed 5 major themes: "We're part of each other," "I think he supports me," "He would want me to be happy," "I just feel so grateful," and "I think about him every day but I don't talk about him every day." DISCUSSION Perceptions that deceased romantic partners continue to play a key role in conjugally bereaved older women's lives offer researchers the unique opportunity to examine how loss is carried into old age. Furthermore, this study may assist with the development of interventions that destigmatize continuing bond expressions for conjugally bereaved heterosexual women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Hackett
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Kate de Medeiros
- Department of Sociology and Gerontology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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11
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Donnelly R, Cha H, Umberson D. Multiple Family Member Deaths and Cardiometabolic Health among Black and White Older Adults. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 63:610-625. [PMID: 35932108 PMCID: PMC10204236 DOI: 10.1177/00221465221114485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Although the bereavement literature is voluminous, we know very little about how exposure to multiple family member deaths across the life course shapes health trajectories as people age and whether unequal exposure to bereavement contributes to racial inequities in cardiometabolic health. We use longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2016) to consider how multiple family member deaths before midlife shape trajectories of cardiometabolic health after age 50 for Black and white adults (n = 22,974). Results show that multiple family member deaths prior to age 50 are associated with more cardiometabolic conditions at age 50 and a faster increase in conditions with advancing age. Moreover, Black adults are significantly disadvantaged by a greater risk of bereavement and more cardiometabolic conditions regardless of bereavement status. The life course trauma of exposure to multiple family member deaths uniquely contributes to the cardiometabolic risk of Black Americans.
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12
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Chen H, Li J, Wei D, Rostila M, Janszky I, Forsell Y, Hemmingsson T, László KD. Death of a Parent and the Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Denmark and Sweden. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2218178. [PMID: 35731515 PMCID: PMC9218848 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Increasing evidence suggests that parental death is associated with unhealthy behaviors and mental ill-health. Knowledge regarding the link between parental death and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke remains limited. OBJECTIVES To investigate whether parental death is associated with an increased risk of IHD and stroke and whether these associations differ by the characteristics of the loss. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based cohort study, involving linkages between several nationwide registers, included 3 766 918 individuals born between 1973 and 1998 in Denmark and between 1973 and 1996 in Sweden. Participants were followed up until 2016 in Denmark and 2014 in Sweden. Data were analyzed from December 2019 to May 2021. EXPOSURES Death of a parent. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Diagnosis with or death due to IHD or stroke. Poisson regression was used to analyze the associations between parental death and IHD and stroke risk. RESULTS Altogether, 48.8% of the participants were women, and 42.7% were from Denmark. A total of 523 496 individuals lost a parent during the study period (median age at loss, 25 years; IQR, 17-32 years). Parental death was associated with a 41% increased risk of IHD (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.41; 95% CI, 1.33-1.51) and a 30% increased risk of stroke [IRR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.21-1.38). The associations were observed not only if the parent died because of cardiovascular or other natural causes but also in cases of unnatural deaths. The associations were stronger when both parents had died (IHD: IRR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.59-2.21; stroke: IRR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.35-1.98) than when 1 parent had died (IHD: IRR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.28-1.47; stroke: IRR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.19-1.36) but did not differ substantially by the offspring's age at loss or the deceased parents' sex. The risk of acute myocardial infarction was highest in the first 3 months after loss. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, parental death in the first decades of life was associated with an increased risk of IHD and stroke. The associations were observed not only in cases of parental cardiovascular and other natural deaths but also in cases of unnatural deaths. Family members and health professionals may need to pay attention to the cardiovascular disease risk among parentally bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Chen
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine–Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dang Wei
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Rostila
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Imre Janszky
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Yvonne Forsell
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Hemmingsson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Krisztina D. László
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Fisher JE, Krantz DS, Ogle CM, Zhou J, Zuleta RF, Strickman AK, Fullerton CS, Ursano RJ, Cozza SJ. Mental Health, Ill-Defined Conditions, and Healthcare Utilization Following Bereavement: A Prospective Case-Control Study. J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry 2022; 63:434-444. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaclp.2022.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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14
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Hoffmann A. Humans are not meant to live alone. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2022; 28:e14. [PMID: 33611535 DOI: 10.1177/2047487320920757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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15
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Fisher JE, Rice AJ, Zuleta RF, Cozza SJ. Bereavement during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Coping Strategies and Mental Health. Psychiatry 2022; 85:354-372. [PMID: 35404761 DOI: 10.1080/00332747.2022.2051141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 coronavirus has caused 5.4 million deaths worldwide, including over 800,000 deaths in the United States (as of December 2021). In addition to these staggering statistics, an even greater number of individuals have died from other causes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, a large portion of the global population has faced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantine. The often rapid and unexpected nature of COVID-19 deaths and the presence of pandemic-related stressors and living restrictions make it more difficult for individuals bereaved during the pandemic to implement effective strategies for coping with the loss compared to non-pandemic periods. Quarantine-related constraints (e.g., social distancing, availability of and access to resources) impede coping strategies that have been found to be adaptive after a loss, such as supportive (e.g., seeking emotional and instrumental support) and active (e.g., problem-focused and cognitive reframing) coping, and they augment avoidant strategies (e.g., substance use, denial, and isolation) that have been found to be maladaptive. Poorer mental health outcomes (including prolonged grief disorder; PGD) have been associated with less healthy coping. This article reviews research findings regarding bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, discusses the effects of pandemic-related stressors on bereavement coping strategies, and proposes how different types of coping during the pandemic may account for the poorer mental health outcomes described in recent reports. Interventions for promoting adaptive coping strategies and minimizing maladaptive coping strategies are also outlined.
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16
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Saltzman LY. Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Child Maltreatment, Recent Bereavement, and Average Heart Rate. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2021; 84:459-473. [PMID: 31865859 PMCID: PMC7306425 DOI: 10.1177/0030222819894139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The study explores the sex differences in cardiovascular outcomes among bereaved individuals. In addition, the study differentiates the impact of child maltreatment and recent loss on the physical health of adult men and women. This study conducted a secondary analysis of data drawn from the Biomarker Subproject of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (n = 1,255). Analysis included a series of regression models estimated in Stata version 15.1. A main effect for both sex and loss was observed. Both male and female respondents with loss had higher average heart rates as compared to male respondents without loss. Interestingly, being a female without loss was also associated with a higher average heart rate as compared to males without loss. The findings suggest that sex differences in cardiovascular functioning do occur and that these differences may be exacerbated by experiences of trauma and loss, and this relationship has implications for assessment and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leia Y Saltzman
- School of Social Work, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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17
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Chen H, Hemmingsson T, Forsell Y, Rostila M, Janszky I, László KD. Death of a Parent During Childhood and the Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Adult Men. Psychosom Med 2021; 82:810-816. [PMID: 32947582 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The death of a parent during childhood is a severe life event with potentially long-term consequences. Earlier studies have shown an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) after the death of a spouse, child, or sibling. Whether parental death during childhood is associated with an increased risk of incident CVD is unknown and was investigated in this study. METHODS We studied 48,992 men born 1949 to 1951 and enlisted for military conscription in 1969 to 1970. We obtained information on death of a parent during childhood, CVD up to 2008, and covariates by linking the questionnaire and the clinical examination data from conscription with nationwide socioeconomic and health registers. RESULTS Men who lost a parent during childhood had an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30 [1.13-1.49]) but not of stroke during the 39-year follow-up (adjusted HR [95% CI] = 0.87 [0.66-1.15]). Maternal death was associated with IHD both when the loss was due to cardiovascular (adjusted HR [95% CI] = 2.04 [1.02-4.08]) and unnatural causes (adjusted HR [95% CI] = 2.50 [1.42-4.42]); in case of paternal death, an increased IHD risk was observed only when the loss was due to cardiovascular causes (adjusted HR [95% CI] = 1.82 [1.37-2.42]). There were no substantial differences in CVD according to the child's age at the loss. CONCLUSIONS Parental death during childhood was associated with an increased risk of IHD in men. If these associations are confirmed in future studies, the long-term effects of childhood bereavement may warrant attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Chen
- From the Department of Global Public Health (Chen, Forsell, Janszky, László), Karolinska Institutet; Department of Public Health Sciences (Hemmingsson, Rostila), Stockholm University; Institute of Environmental Medicine (Hemmingsson), Karolinska Institutet; Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine (Forsell), Stockholm County Council, Stockholm; Centre for Health Equity Studies (Rostila), Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine (Janszky), Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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18
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Wei D, Janszky I, Fang F, Chen H, Ljung R, Sun J, Li J, László KD. Death of an offspring and parental risk of ischemic heart diseases: A population-based cohort study. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003790. [PMID: 34587153 PMCID: PMC8480908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The death of a child is an extreme life event with potentially long-term health consequences. Knowledge about its association with ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), however, is very limited. We investigated whether the death of an offspring is associated with the risk of IHD and AMI. METHODS AND FINDINGS We studied parents of live-born children recorded in the Danish (1973 to 2016) and the Swedish (1973 to 2014) Medical Birth Registers (n = 6,711,952; mean age at baseline 31 years, 53% women). We retrieved information on exposure, outcomes, and covariates by linking individual-level information from several nationwide registers. We analyzed the abovementioned associations using Poisson regression. A total of 126,522 (1.9%) parents lost at least 1 child during the study period. Bereaved parents had a higher risk of IHD and AMI than the nonbereaved [incidence rate ratios (IRRs) (95% confidence intervals (CIs)): 1.20 (1.18 to 1.23), P < 0.001 and 1.21 (1.17 to 1.25), P < 0.001, respectively]. The association was present not only in case of losses due to CVD or other natural causes, but also in case of unnatural deaths. The AMI risk was highest in the first week after the loss [IRR (95% CI): 3.67 (2.08 to 6.46), P < 0.001], but a 20% to 40% increased risk was observed throughout the whole follow-up period. Study limitations include the possibility of residual confounding by socioeconomic, lifestyle, or health-related factors and the potentially limited generalizability of our findings outside Scandinavia. CONCLUSIONS The death of an offspring was associated with an increased risk of IHD and AMI. The finding that the association was present also in case of losses due to unnatural causes, which are less likely to be confounded by cardiovascular risk factors clustering in families, suggests that stress-related mechanisms may also contribute to the observed associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dang Wei
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Imre Janszky
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hua Chen
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rickard Ljung
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Medical Products Agency, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jiangwei Sun
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine - Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Krisztina D. László
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Lewis TT, Van Dyke ME, Matthews KA, Barinas-Mitchell E. Race/Ethnicity, Cumulative Midlife Loss, and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged Women. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:576-587. [PMID: 33034337 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
African-American women have elevated rates of cardiovascular disease compared with women of other races or ethnicities, and race/ethnicity-related stressors may play a role. We examined the association between a race/ethnicity-related stressor, midlife loss, and a marker of cardiovascular risk, carotid intima media thickness (IMT), in 1,410 African-American, White, Chinese, and Hispanic women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Participants were queried about losses annually over 12 years (1996-2013), with IMT assessed in year 12-13 via ultrasound. Linear regression models were used to examine associations between cumulative upsetting losses and IMT, adjusting for covariates. In minimally adjusted models in the full cohort, 3 or more upsetting losses (vs. none) were associated with IMT (β = 0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.05; P = 0.0003). Results were more robust among African-American women (β = 0.042, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07; P < 0.01) than White (β = 0.014, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.03; P = 0.21), Chinese (β = 0.036, 95% CI: -0.03, 0.10; P = 0.25), or Hispanic (β = 0.036, 95% CI: -0.07, 0.14; P = 0.51) women, although associations among women from racial/ethnic minorities overall were of similar magnitude. Results persisted in fully adjusted models (P for interaction with race/ethnicity = 0.04). Midlife loss may be a pathway through which race/ethnicity influences cardiovascular risk for African-American women and, potentially, Chinese and Hispanic women.
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20
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Chen Z, Ying J, Ingles J, Zhang D, Rajbhandari-Thapa J, Wang R, Emerson KG, Feng Z. Gender differential impact of bereavement on health outcomes: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2011-2015. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:514. [PMID: 33092555 PMCID: PMC7583229 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02916-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bereavement is the experience of an individual following the death of a person of significance to the individual, most often referring to the spouse. Increased morbidity, health care utilization, and mortality are known to be associated with bereavement. Given China's growing population of older adults, there is a critical need to assess the health consequences of bereavement. METHOD We use data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study to examine the impact of bereavement on mental health and quality of life among a sample of mid- and older-aged adults. We use propensity score matching to construct a matching sample and difference-in-differences method to estimate the impact of bereavement on mental health and self-assessed health. RESULTS We find bereavement is associated with increased depression symptoms among women (1.542 point or 0.229 standard deviations of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) 10 score) but not consistently for men over time. No statistically significant effect of bereavement on self-assessed health is found. CONCLUSIONS Our results show a harmful impact of bereavement on mental health among older women in China and point to the need for a comprehensive policy on survivor benefits in China, particularly for rural older women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
- University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jiahui Ying
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Justin Ingles
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Donglan Zhang
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Ruoxi Wang
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology of China, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Kerstin Gerst Emerson
- College of Public Health University of Georgia, Wright Hall 305B, 100 Foster Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Zhanchun Feng
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology of China, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China
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21
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Huang FY, Hsu AL, Chao YP, Shang CMH, Tsai JS, Wu CW. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on bereavement grief: Alterations of resting-state network connectivity associate with changes of anxiety and mindfulness. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:510-520. [PMID: 33068043 PMCID: PMC7775995 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bereavement, the experience of losing a loved one, is one of the most catastrophic but inevitable events in life. It causes grief and intense depression‐like sadness. Recent studies have revealed the effectiveness and proficiency of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in emotional regulation among bereavement populations. MBCT improves the well‐being of the bereaved by enhancing cognitive performances. Regarding the neural correlates of bereavement grief, previous studies focused on the alleviation of emotion–cognition interferences at specific brain regions. Here, we hypothesized that the bereavement grief fundamentally triggers global alterations in the resting‐state brain networks and part of the internetwork connectivity could be reformed after MBCT intervention. We recruited 19 bereaved individuals who participated the 8‐week MBCT program. We evaluated (a) the large‐scale changes in brain connectivity affected by the MBCT program; as well as (b) the association between connectivity changes and self‐rated questionnaire. First, after MBCT, the bereaved individuals showed the reduction of the internetwork connectivity in the salience, default‐mode and fronto‐parietal networks in the resting state but not under emotional arousal, implying the alleviated attention to spontaneous mind wandering after MBCT. Second, the alterations of functional connectivity between subcortical (e.g., caudate) and cortical networks (e.g., cingulo‐opercular/sensorimotor) were associated with the changes of the mindfulness scale, the anxiety and the emotion regulation ability. In summary, MBCT could enhance spontaneous emotion regulation among the bereaved individuals through the internetwork reorganizations in the resting state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ying Huang
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Ling Hsu
- Department of Radiology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Jaw-Shiun Tsai
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Center for Complementary and Integrated Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Changwei W Wu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei, Taiwan
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22
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Yang L, Weng X, Subramanian SV. Associations between older adults' parental bereavement and their health and well-being: Evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study. J Affect Disord 2020; 272:207-214. [PMID: 32553360 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Few studies have investigated the association between losing a child and parental health and wellbeing, especially among older Chinese bereaved parents. This study examined depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-rated health of older Chinese bereaved parents to estimate the health and well-being of this group. METHODS This research used data from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total number of 11,507 participants age 45 and older were enrolled in the analysis, including 1,758 bereaved adults who had experienced a child's death and 9,749 non-bereaved counterparts. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of bereavement and its interaction effect by sex and age. RESULTS Multivariate analyses revealed that the death of a child is associated with an increasing likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.425, p < 0.001), and a reduced probability of a high level of life satisfaction (adjusted OR = 0.725, p < 0.05), whereas experiencing a child's death is not significantly associated with self-reported health status. The effects of bereavement on health and well-being were found to have a much greater impact among participants who were males (compared to females) and who aged<60 years (compared to those ≥60 years). DISCUSSION Future longitudinal prospective research is expected to examine the causal relationship and explore the attributes of child death and its effects on parental health. Interventions to improve the health and well-being of the older bereaved population are warranted, particularly for those who are male and under 60 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yang
- Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xue Weng
- School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - S V Subramanian
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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23
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Wei D, Janszky I, Ljung R, Leander K, Chen H, Fang F, Li J, László KD. Bereavement in the year before a first myocardial infarction: Impact on prognosis. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2020; 28:1229-1234. [PMID: 34551078 DOI: 10.1177/2047487320916958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Death of the spouse in middle and old age is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and total mortality, particularly during the months after the loss. Knowledge regarding the effect of bereavement on prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is limited. We analysed whether bereavement the year before the AMI is associated with prognosis.
Methods
We studied first AMI patients who participated in the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program (N = 1732). During or shortly after the hospitalization, patients or their family members completed a questionnaire regarding bereavement, sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle factors; five months after their first infarction, surviving patients attended a clinical examination. Participants were followed for cardiovascular events and mortality for a median of 14 years.
Results
Overall bereavement, that is, death of a close friend or family member (including spouse/partner), the year before the first AMI was not associated with the combined outcome of non-fatal recurrent AMI and death due to ischaemic heart diseases. However, exposure to the loss of the spouse/partner was associated with an increased risk of the outcome (adjusted hazard ratio and (95% confidence interval): 1.55 (1.06–2.27)). We found no evidence that psychiatric disorders or blood lipids, glucose, coagulation and inflammatory markers mediated this association.
Conclusions
Loss of spouse/partner the year before the first AMI was associated with an increased risk of the combination of non-fatal recurrent AMI and death due to ischaemic heart disease. If confirmed by others, the findings may be informative for tertiary prevention of AMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dang Wei
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Imre Janszky
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rickard Ljung
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Leander
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hua Chen
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jiong Li
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Krisztina D László
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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24
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Health in widowhood: The roles of social capital and economic resources. Soc Sci Med 2020; 253:112965. [PMID: 32259724 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A sizeable literature has demonstrated strong negative associations between widowhood and health, but longitudinal evidence on moderating factors has been mixed. This study assesses the roles of pre-existing social capital and wealth in moderating changes in health in the event of spousal death. Samples of widowed individuals (n = 796) and matched married controls (n = 8233) are employed from 17 consecutive waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (2001-2017). Individual-level fixed-effects models are used to estimate changes in physical and mental health before and after spousal death, in reference to one's own health more than two years before widowhood. Results show a temporary physical health improvement in the year of spousal death, and a decline in mental health beginning up to two years before spousal death, lasting up to two years after spousal death. Using social capital-from children, club membership or volunteering status, and social connections-observed earlier than two years before spousal death, this study finds that widowed individuals with higher social capital show poorer mental health than those with less capital. This negative moderating role is more marked among widowed males than females. In contrast, greater wealth, particularly from non-financial assets, is associated with earlier psychological adjustment among males. For females, mental health in widowhood shows little difference by wealth. These findings suggest that social capital may not be sufficient to protect deteriorations in mental health among widowed individuals, and that the pursuit of alternative avenues may be especially important among the less wealthy.
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Vala CH, Lorentzon M, Sundh V, Johansson H, Lewerin C, Sten S, Karlsson M, Ohlsson C, Johansson B, Kanis JA, Mellström D. Increased risk for hip fracture after death of a spouse-further support for bereavement frailty? Osteoporos Int 2020; 31:485-492. [PMID: 31832693 PMCID: PMC7075824 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-019-05242-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Death of a spouse is associated with poorer physical and mental health. We followed all married individuals, born from 1902 to 1942, during the period from 1987 to 2002, and found that widows and widowers had higher risk for hip fracture, compared with still married women and men. INTRODUCTION Spousal bereavement can lead to poorer physical and mental health. We aimed to determine whether married women and men had an elevated risk of hip fracture after death of a spouse. METHODS In a retrospective cohort study, we followed all Swedish married individuals aged 60 to 100 years (n = 1,783,035), from 1987 to 2002. Data are presented as mean with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS During the follow-up period, 21,305 hip fractures among widows and 6538 hip fractures among widowers were noted. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in widows compared with married women was 1.34 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.37) and for widowers compared with married men 1.32 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.35). The HR for hip fracture in the first 6 months after death of a spouse was in widows compared with married women 1.62 (95% CI 1.53 to 1.71) and in widowers compared with married men 1.84 (95% CI 1.68 to 2.03). The elevated risk was especially prominent in young widowers in the age range 60-69 years. During the first 6 months they showed a HR of 2.76 (95% CI 1.66 to 4.58) for a hip fractvure compared with age matched married men. Widows aged 60-69 years showed a HR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.99) compared with age matched married women. CONCLUSION Our observation of a higher hip fracture risk in both genders in connection with the death of a spouse indicates a possible effect of bereavement on frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Vala
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden.
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden.
| | - M Lorentzon
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - V Sundh
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - H Johansson
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - C Lewerin
- Section of Haematology and Coagulation, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - S Sten
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University-Campus Gotland, 621 57, Visby, Sweden
| | - M Karlsson
- Department of Orthopedics and Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02, Malmö, Sweden
| | - C Ohlsson
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research (CBAR), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - B Johansson
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - J A Kanis
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Metabolic Bone Disease, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - D Mellström
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research (CBAR), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Tofler GH, Morel-Kopp MC, Spinaze M, Dent J, Ward C, McKinley S, Mihailidou AS, Havyatt J, Whitfield V, Bartrop R, Fethney J, Prigerson HG, Buckley T. The effect of metoprolol and aspirin on cardiovascular risk in bereavement: A randomized controlled trial. Am Heart J 2020; 220:264-272. [PMID: 31923768 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bereavement is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease; however, no reports exist of interventions to reduce risk. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 85 recently bereaved participants, we determined whether β-blocker (metoprolol 25 mg) and aspirin (100 mg) reduce cardiovascular risk markers and anxiety, without adversely affecting bereavement intensity. METHODS Participants were spouses (n = 73) or parents (n = 12) of deceased from 5 hospitals in Sydney, Australia, 55 females, 30 males, aged 66.1 ± 9.4 years. After assessment within 2 weeks of bereavement, subjects were randomized to 6 weeks of daily treatment or placebo, and the effect evaluated using ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline values (primary analysis). RESULTS Participants on metoprolol and aspirin had lower levels of home systolic pressure (P = .03), 24-hour average heart rate (P < .001) and anxiety (P = .01) platelet response to arachidonic acid (P < .001) and depression symptoms (P = .046) than placebo with no difference in standard deviation of NN intervals index (SDNNi), von Willebrand Factor antigen, platelet-granulocyte aggregates or bereavement intensity. No significant adverse safety impact was observed. CONCLUSIONS In early bereavement, low dose metoprolol and aspirin for 6 weeks reduces physiological and psychological surrogate measures of cardiovascular risk. Although further research is needed, results suggest a potential preventive benefit of this approach during heightened cardiovascular risk associated with early bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey H Tofler
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia.
| | - Marie-Christine Morel-Kopp
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia; Kolling Institute, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia
| | - Monica Spinaze
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | - Jill Dent
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | - Christopher Ward
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | | | - Anastasia S Mihailidou
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; Kolling Institute, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | - Jennifer Havyatt
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | - Victoria Whitfield
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | - Roger Bartrop
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia
| | | | | | - Thomas Buckley
- Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Autralia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autralia; Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, U.S.A
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Ennis J, Majid U. "Death from a broken heart": A systematic review of the relationship between spousal bereavement and physical and physiological health outcomes. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:538-551. [PMID: 31535594 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1661884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The loss of a loved one is often associated with "death from a broken heart" for the survivor, and there is evidence that shows that widowers and widows are at risk for higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. This systematic review will summarize the physical and physiological health outcomes of spousal bereavement. A systematic database search was conducted, and 38 studies were analyzed. The majority of studies found a statistically significant and positive association between spousal bereavement and adverse physical and physiological health outcomes such as inflammation, cardiovascular risk, chronic pain, and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Ennis
- Ennis Centre for Pain Management, Hamilton, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Umair Majid
- Ennis Centre for Pain Management, Hamilton, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Clinical Decision-Making and Healthcare, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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Riegel M, Randall S, Buckley T. Memory making in end-of-life care in the adult intensive care unit: A scoping review of the research literature. Aust Crit Care 2019; 32:442-447. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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Garcini LM, Brown RL, Chen MA, Saucedo L, Fite AM, Ye P, Ziauddin K, Fagundes CP. Bereavement among widowed Latinos in the United States: A systematic review of methodology and findings. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:342-353. [PMID: 31402785 PMCID: PMC7076907 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1648328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study systematically reviewed the methodology and findings of 19 peer-reviewed studies on the experience of bereavement among widowed Latinos, including risk and protective factors to the health of this vulnerable population. Of these studies, 10 included quantitative data, 3 were qualitative studies, and 6 were narrative reviews. Results emphasized the relevance of cultural beliefs about death, rituals, religion, and Latino values (i.e., familismo, respeto, simpatía, personalismo) as common themes in the included studies, along with expressions of grief (e.g., Ataque de nervios, somatization) that vary by gender and acculturation. Risk factors associated with diminished well-being in this population included being a male, financial strain, cultural stressors, having an undocumented legal status, experiencing widowhood at a younger age, and having poor physical health. Effective coping strategies identified included having adequate social support primarily from family, religion and religious practices, the use of folk medicine, volunteering, and the use of emotional release strategies. Moreover, the results highlight that researches informing the health needs of widowed Latinos in the US is limited, and studies with enhanced methodological rigor are needed to better understand the complex needs of this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz M Garcini
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ryan L Brown
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michelle A Chen
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Levi Saucedo
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ashley M Fite
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pearly Ye
- Department of Psychology, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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Widowhood and mortality risk of older people in rural China: do gender and living arrangement make a difference? AGEING & SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x19000436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIncreased mortality after spousal bereavement has been observed in many populations. Few studies have investigated the widowhood effect in a traditional culture where the economy is underdeveloped. The reasons for the widowhood effect and its gender dynamic are not well understood. In this study, we assessed whether the widowhood-associated excess mortality exists and differs by gender and living arrangement in rural China. We used a six-wave panel of data derived from rural people over 60 years old in the Chaohu region of China. Cox regression analyses suggest that there was a positive effect of spousal loss on mortality for older rural Chinese and this effect was gender different. Our findings also suggest that living with adult children after spousal loss played a protective role in reducing the risk of older men's death, though it tended to increase older men's mortality risk in general.
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Huang FY, Hsu AL, Hsu LM, Tsai JS, Huang CM, Chao YP, Hwang TJ, Wu CW. Mindfulness Improves Emotion Regulation and Executive Control on Bereaved Individuals: An fMRI Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 12:541. [PMID: 30745865 PMCID: PMC6360180 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The grief of bereavement is recognized as a severe psychosocial stressor that can trigger a variety of mental and physical disorders, and the long-lasting unresolved grief has a detrimental effect on brain functionality. Literature has documented mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as an efficient treatment for improving well-being, specifically related to the mood and cognition, in a variety of populations. However, little attention has been devoted to neural mechanisms with regard to bereaved individuals' cognition after MBCT intervention. In this study, we recruited 23 bereaved participants who lost a significant relative within 6 months to 4 years to attend 8-week MBCT course. We used self-reporting questionnaires to measure emotion regulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with the numerical Stroop task to evaluate the MBCT effect on executive control among the bereaved participants. The self-reported questionnaires showed improvements on mindfulness and reductions in grief, difficulties in emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression after the MBCT intervention. The fMRI analysis demonstrated two scenarios: (1) the activity of the fronto-parietal network slightly declined accompanied with significant improvements in the reaction time of incongruent trials; (2) the activities in the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus were positively associated with the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, implying emotional interferences on cognitive functions. Results indicated that MBCT facilitated the executive control function by alleviating the emotional interferences over the cognitive functions and suggested that the 8-week MBCT intervention significantly improved both executive control and emotion regulation in bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ying Huang
- Department of Education, College of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Ling Hsu
- Department of Radiology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ming Hsu
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jaw-Shiun Tsai
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Complementary and Integrated Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Mao Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Graduate Institute of Medical Mechatronics, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tzung-Jeng Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Changwei W. Wu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan
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Tseng FM, Petrie D, Leon-Gonzalez R. The impact of spousal bereavement on subjective wellbeing: Evidence from the Taiwanese elderly population. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 26:1-12. [PMID: 28142088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Bereavement is an inevitable event in our life. This paper employs the Taiwanese panel Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly (SHLSE) to evaluate the impact of losing a spouse on self-assessed health and subjective well-being measured by depression and life satisfaction. Propensity score matching methods are used to generate a hypothetical bereavement date and a weight for the non-bereaved to create a comparable non-bereaved cohort and a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach is used to estimate the impact of spousal bereavement. The results show that spousal bereavement increases depression scale by 1.81 points but this increment decreases by 0.43 points every year after bereavement. It takes approximate 4 years to restore to the level prior to bereavement. We also examine the demographic and socioeconomic differences in the spousal bereavement impact and find that the spousal bereavement impact is greater on the bereaved in the higher income group in terms of self-assessed health and depression. Our results only represent a lower boundary of the possible impact of spousal bereavement on self-assessed health and subjective wellbeing due to data restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Min Tseng
- Department of Economics, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan.
| | - Dennis Petrie
- Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Australia
| | - Roberto Leon-Gonzalez
- National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan; Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, Italy
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the association of widowhood with the severity and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD), and whether it is modified by sex or socioeconomic status. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 1068 patients undergoing coronary angiography at five centers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were included in the study. CAD was defined as more than 70% lumen stenosis in a major epicardial vessel or more than 50% in the left main coronary artery. Multivessel disease was defined as more than one diseased vessel. RESULTS Of 1068 patients, 65 (6%) were widowed. Widowed patients were older (65±15 vs. 59±12), more likely to be female (75 vs. 25%), less likely to be smokers (18 vs. 47%), of lower economic and education status, and more likely to have undergone coronary angiography for urgent/emergent indications (75 vs. 61%) (P<0.05 for all). There was a significant association between widowhood and the number of coronary arteries with more than 70% lumen stenosis. Consequently, such a high degree of lumen stenosis in those who were widowed was more likely to require coronary artery bypass graft surgery (38 vs. 16%; P<0.01). After adjusting for baseline differences, widowhood was associated with a significantly higher odds of CAD [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-10.5] and multivessel disease (adjusted OR 4.6; 95% CI 2.2-9.6), but not left main disease (adjusted OR 1.3; 95% CI 0.5-3.1). All associations were consistent in men and women and not modified by age, community setting (urban vs. rural), employment, income, or educational levels (Pinteraction>0.1 for all). CONCLUSION Widowhood is associated with the severity and extent of CAD. The association is not modified by sex or socioeconomic status.
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Cumulative Impact of Stressful Life Events on the Development of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Ann Behav Med 2017; 51:925-930. [DOI: 10.1007/s12160-017-9908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Norton MC, Hatch DJ, Munger RG, Smith KR. Family Member Deaths in Childhood Predict Systemic Inflammation in Late Life. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2017; 63:104-115. [PMID: 28521621 PMCID: PMC6407705 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2017.1281099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Biological and epidemiological evidence has linked early-life psychosocial stress with late-life health, with inflammation as a potential mechanism. We report here the association between familial death in childhood and adulthood and increased levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. The Cache County Memory Study is a prospective study of persons initially aged 65 and older in 1995. In 2002, there were 1,955 persons in the study with data on CRP (42.3 percent male, mean [SD] age = 81.2 [5.8] years), linked with objective data on family member deaths. Using logistic regression, high (> 10 mg/L) versus low (≤ 10 mg/L) CRP was regressed on cumulative parental, sibling, spouse, and offspring deaths during childhood and during early adulthood, adjusted for family size in each period (percentage family depletion; PFD). Findings revealed PFD during childhood to be significantly associated with CRP (OR = 1.02, 95% CI [1.01, 1.04]). Individuals with two or more family deaths were 79 percent more likely to have elevated CRP than those with zero family deaths (OR = 1.79, 95% CI [1.07, 2.99]). Early adulthood PFD was not related to CRP. This study demonstrates a link between significant psychosocial stress in early life and immune-inflammatory functioning in late life, and suggests a mechanism explaining the link between early-life adversity and late-life health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Norton
- a Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development , Utah State University , Logan , Utah , USA
- b Department of Psychology , Utah State University , Logan , Utah , USA
- c Center for Epidemiologic Studies , Utah State University , Logan , Utah , USA
| | - Daniel J Hatch
- d Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development , Duke University , Durham , North Carolina , USA
| | - Ronald G Munger
- c Center for Epidemiologic Studies , Utah State University , Logan , Utah , USA
- e Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences , Utah State University , Logan , Utah , USA
| | - Ken R Smith
- f Department of Family and Consumer Studies and Population Sciences , Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah , Salt Lake City , Utah , USA
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Corticolimbic regulation of cardiovascular responses to stress. Physiol Behav 2016; 172:49-59. [PMID: 27793557 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death worldwide, is frequently initiated or exacerbated by stress. In fact, chronic stress exposure and heightened reactions to acute psychological stress are both associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. This brief review focuses on the mechanisms by which corticolimbic nuclei, critical for stress appraisal and emotional reactivity, regulate heart rate and blood pressure responses to psychological stress. Both human and rodent data are examined with a major emphasis on basic studies investigating prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. A detailed literature review reveals substantial limitations in our understanding of this circuitry, as well as significant opportunities for future investigation that may ultimately reduce the burden of cardiovascular illness.
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Cleland C, Kearns A, Tannahill C, Ellaway A. The impact of life events on adult physical and mental health and well-being: longitudinal analysis using the GoWell health and well-being survey. BMC Res Notes 2016; 9:470. [PMID: 27760568 PMCID: PMC5070029 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-2278-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is recognised that life events (LEs) which have been defined as incidents necessitating adjustment to habitual life either permanently or temporarily, not only have the potential to be detrimental to health and well-being, but research suggests some LEs may be beneficial. This study aimed to determine the individual and cumulative occurrence of LEs; and to establish their effect on health and well-being. Results Demographic factors (gender, age and highest educational attainment), LE occurrence and self-reported health data were collected as part of the longitudinal GoWell community health and wellbeing survey (2008–2011). Self-reported health was measured using the SF-12 questionnaire for physical (SF-12 PCS) and mental health (SF-12 MCS) and the Warwick–Edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS) for well-being. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSSv21 and level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results showed that the sample was 61.6 % (n = 768) female; 20.4 % (n = 254) were aged 16–39 years, 46.1 % (n = 575) 40–64 years and 33.5 % (n = 418) were over 65 years; 68.8 % (n = 819) had no qualifications/Scottish leaving certificates, with the remaining 31.2 % (n = 372) having their highest educational qualification above Scottish leaving certificates. Health score means were 49.3 SF-12 mental health component score (SF-12 MCS); 42.1 SF-12 physical health component score (SF-12 PCS); and 49.2 WEMWBS. Participants experienced 0–7 LEs over a three year period, with the most common being: housing improvement (44.9 %), house move (36.8 %), health event (26.3 %) and bereavement (25.0 %). Overall, an increase in LEs was associated with a health score decrease. Five LEs (relationship breakdown, health event, bereavement, victimisation and house move) had negative impacts on SF-12 MCS and two (new job/promotion and parenthood) had positive impacts. For SF-12 PCS only three (health event, bereavement and housing improvement) had a negative impact. Six (health event, victimisation, bereavement, relationship breakdown housing move and improvement) had negative impacts on well-being and two (new job/promotion, marriage) had positive effects. Conclusions Findings from the current study confirm LEs have both detrimental and beneficial impacts on health and well-being. Further research is required to disentangle the complexity of LEs and the ways they affect health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Cleland
- School of Natural and Built Environment, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, UK. .,MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Ade Kearns
- Urban Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Anne Ellaway
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, UK
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Brenn T, Ytterstad E. Increased risk of death immediately after losing a spouse: Cause-specific mortality following widowhood in Norway. Prev Med 2016; 89:251-256. [PMID: 27311340 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper examines the short-term risk of cause-specific death following widowhood. METHOD We followed all individuals registered as married in Norway in 1975 for marital status and mortality until 2006. Widowed individuals were followed for mortality for 7years following widowhood. Causes of death were categorized into five cause-groups. Life tables were used in survival analyses. RESULTS Deaths among the widowed were most frequent in the week following widowhood. In this week and compared to married individuals, there were more deaths including those from malignant cancer in men (hazard ratio (HR) of 1.51; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.89), from external causes in men (HR=3.64; 95% CI: 2.01, 5.28), and from respiratory diseases (HR=2.18; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.84 in men and HR=3.18; 95% CI: 2.26, 4.09 in women). A majority of respiratory deaths were from pneumonia. Thereafter excess mortality among the widowed dropped gradually. Although these numbers stabilized, they were still elevated in year 7. Excess mortality was particularly high in the youngest age group considered (55-64years) and decreased with age, though more so in men than in women. Only a few more widowed individuals than expected died of a condition in the same cause-group as their spouses. CONCLUSION A novel finding was that excess deaths in the week following widowhood also were from cancer and respiratory diseases. Men in the youngest age group seemed most vulnerable. Prevention should be considered directly after the death of a spouse, and measures should be aimed at virtually all causes of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tormod Brenn
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Elinor Ytterstad
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Late-life bereavement is associated with an increased risk of mortality. This study assesses the associations among bereavement, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and depressive symptoms on mortality in older men and women. METHODS We examined data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a prospective population-based cohort study of older adults. We compared mortality in those who became bereaved from 1989 to 1999 (n = 593) to an age- and sex-matched sample of individuals who remained married (n = 593). Cox regression was used to examine the association between bereavement and 3-year all-cause mortality and whether or not the association differed by sex, presence of CVD, or postbereavement depressive symptoms. RESULTS One hundred ninety-nine (16.8%) individuals died. There was no association of bereavement with mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.98 [0.74-1.30]). However, there were significant interaction effects of bereavement with participant sex (p < .001) and CVD (p = .010). Bereavement decreased the risk of mortality in women (HR = 0.67 [0.46-0.97]) and increased the risk of mortality in men (HR = 1.77 [1.14-2.75]). Within sex, the association of bereavement with mortality differed according to CVD status. The reduced risk of mortality associated with bereavement in women was only observed in women with CVD, and the increased risk in men was only observed in men without CVD. High levels of depressive symptoms attenuated the relation between bereavement and mortality in men without CVD. CONCLUSIONS The relation between bereavement and mortality was different in men and women and varied by CVD status. Bereavement decreased mortality in women with CVD and increased mortality in men without CVD.
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Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Stress-Mediated Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Hypertens Rep 2015; 17:80. [DOI: 10.1007/s11906-015-0594-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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László KD, Olsen J, Li J, Persson M, Vestergaard M, Svensson T, Obel C, Cnattingius S. The Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Following Bereavement: A Cohort Study from Denmark and Sweden. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2015; 29:271-80. [PMID: 26053686 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated whether bereavement of a close family member - a source of severe psychological stress exposure - the year before pregnancy is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS We studied pregnant women with livebirths in Denmark during 1994-2008 and with births in Sweden during 1987-2006 (n = 2,569,446). We obtained data on death of women's parents, siblings, and older children, and on demographic and health- and pregnancy-related factors through linkage between nationwide registers. RESULTS In multivariable models, death of a close relative the year before pregnancy was associated with a 14% increased odds of GDM [95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.03, 1.26]. The odds ratios corresponding to the loss of a child, parent, and sibling were 1.51 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.95), 1.12 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.25), and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.40, 1.25), respectively. Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases or diabetes were more closely related to the risk of GDM than other types of deaths. We found no association between unnatural deaths and the risk of GDM. CONCLUSIONS Death of a close relative the year before pregnancy was associated with a modestly increased GDM risk. Our findings according to the relative's cause of death suggest that differences in screening for GDM among exposure groups and residual confounding by familial factors related to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases may have contributed to this association. If there is a causal stress effect on GDM in this predominantly Nordic population, it is most likely small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina D László
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jørn Olsen
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jiong Li
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Martina Persson
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mogens Vestergaard
- Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tobias Svensson
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carsten Obel
- Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Research Program for Mental Child Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University and Institute of Handicap and Communication, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sven Cnattingius
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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Buckley T, Spinaze M, Bartrop R, McKinley S, Whitfield V, Havyatt J, Roche D, Fethney J, Tofler G. The nature of death, coping response and intensity of bereavement following death in the critical care environment. Aust Crit Care 2015; 28:64-70. [PMID: 25801350 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bereavement, defined as the situation of having recently lost a significant other, is recognised as one of life's greatest stressors and may lead to decrements in health status, psychological morbidity and excess risk of mortality. AIM The aim of this study was firstly to describe the relationships between the nature of death and bereavement intensity following death in the adult critical care environment and secondly to examine the modifying effects of coping responses on intensity of bereavement reaction. METHOD Prospective evaluation of the impact of the nature of death and coping responses on bereavement intensity. 78 participants completed a nature of death questionnaire within 2 weeks of bereavement and at 3 and 6 months completed the Core Bereavement Items Questionnaire (CBI-17) and Brief COPE Inventory. RESULTS At 6 months, univariate variables significantly associated with bereavement intensity were: being unprepared for the death (p<0.001), a drawn out death (p<0.001), a violent death (p=0.007) and if the deceased appeared to suffer more than expected (p=0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed being unprepared for the death appears to account for these relationships. Regarding coping, there were significant increases from 3 to 6 months in both acceptance scales (p=0.01) and planning (p=0.02) on The Brief COPE Inventory. Greater use of emotional support (p=0.02), self-blame (0.003) and denial (p<0.001) were multivariate variables associated with higher bereavement intensity at 6 months. CONCLUSION The results from this evaluation provide insight into the impact of bereavement after death in the critical care environment and inform potential preventative approaches at the time of death to reduce bereavement intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Buckley
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia.
| | | | - Roger Bartrop
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Diane Roche
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Geoffrey Tofler
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
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Stephen AI, Macduff C, Petrie DJ, Tseng FM, Schut H, Skår S, Corden A, Birrell J, Wang S, Newsom C, Wilson S. The economic cost of bereavement in Scotland. DEATH STUDIES 2015; 39:151-157. [PMID: 25255790 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2014.920435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Aspects of the socioeconomic costs of bereavement in Scotland were estimated using 3 sets of data. Spousal bereavement was associated with increased mortality and longer hospital stays, with additional annual cost of around £20 million. Cost of bereavement coded consultations in primary care was estimated at around £2.0 million annually. In addition, bereaved people were significantly less likely to be employed in the year of and 2 years after bereavement than non-bereaved matched controls, but there were no significant differences in income between bereaved people and matched controls before and after bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey I Stephen
- a Institute for Health and Wellbeing Research , Robert Gordon University , Aberdeen , Scotland
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Whitfield V, Havyatt J, Buckley T, Bartrop R, McKinley S, Roche D, Spinaze M, Bramwell M, Tofler G. The complexities of recruiting bereaved family members into a research study in the critical care environment: a discussion paper. Aust Crit Care 2014; 28:77-81. [PMID: 25554542 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the effects of stressful events on human health and wellbeing has progressed in recent years. One such stress, bereavement, is considered one of life's greatest stresses, requiring significant readjustment. The Cardiovascular Risk in Bereavement study (CARBER) investigated in detail cardiovascular risk factors during the first weeks following the death of a partner or adult child in the critical care environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the once held perception that the bereaved population should not be involved in research, using an actual illustrative project. The paper specifically focuses on the challenges regarding acceptability and feasibility of recruitment of recently bereaved individuals from the critical care environment. The question of whether bereaved individuals have capacity to consent to involvement in research immediately after loss is considered. The appropriateness of asking newly bereaved individuals to participate in research immediately after the death of their relative is also discussed. The work of the research team demonstrates that early recruitment of bereaved family members into a research project is feasible and acceptable to participants, especially when a multidisciplinary collaborative approach is employed and a personal mode of recruitment used.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Buckley
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Roger Bartrop
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Diane Roche
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Geoffrey Tofler
- Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
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46
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Socioeconomic Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease: Recent Findings and Future Directions. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40471-014-0010-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Holland JM, Rozalski V, Thompson KL, Tiongson RJ, Schatzberg AF, O'Hara R, Gallagher-Thompson D. The unique impact of late-life bereavement and prolonged grief on diurnal cortisol. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2014; 69:4-11. [PMID: 23740094 PMCID: PMC3894130 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2012] [Accepted: 05/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study expands on previous research by examining the effects of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms and bereavement on diurnal cortisol patterns above and beyond depressive symptomatology. METHODS Drawing on information from 56 depressed older adults, 3 groups were compared: (1) a depressed nonbereaved group, (2) a depressed bereaved without elevated PGD symptoms group, and (3) a depressed bereaved with elevated PGD symptoms group. Multilevel modeling was used to examine differences in diurnal cortisol profiles between these 3 groups, controlling for demographic factors and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Results revealed that those who were bereaved had more dysregulated cortisol patterns, but PGD symptomatology seemed to have little effect. Subsidiary analysis with just the bereaved participants suggests that those who were recently widowed may have had greater cortisol dysregulation compared with other bereaved individuals in the sample. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that the circumstance of being bereaved may be associated with more dysregulated cortisol, regardless of PGD symptomatology. This pattern of results might reflect greater disturbance in daily routines among bereaved individuals and acute stress in the case of those experiencing the recent loss of a spouse, which leads to disruption in circadian rhythms and the diurnal cycle of cortisol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Holland
- Correspondence should be addressed to Jason M. Holland, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Box 455030, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5030. E-mail:
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Shah MT, Zonderman AB, Waldstein SR. Sex and age differences in the relation of depressive symptoms with blood pressure. Am J Hypertens 2013; 26:1413-20. [PMID: 23959543 DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpt135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and blood pressure have been inconsistent. Most studies have examined incident hypertension as an outcome, and few have examined effect modification. METHODS This study examined moderating influences of sex and age on coincident trajectories of depressive symptoms and blood pressure among 2,087 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (aged 19-97 years; 53% men; 74% white). Participants underwent clinical blood pressure measurement and completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale on up to 14 occasions (mean = 3.8; SD = 2.6) over up to 29 years (mean = 7.8; SD = 6.4). CES-D was log-transformed (CES-D(log)) for analyses. RESULTS Mixed-effects regression revealed that prospective relations of CES-D(log) to diastolic blood pressure differed by age in women (b = 0.095; P = 0.001) but not men; greater CES-D(log) attenuated the expected age-related decline in diastolic blood pressure. Across all testing sessions, greater CES-D(log) was associated significantly with higher average systolic blood pressure for women (b = 2.238; P = 0.006) but not men. Age-stratified analyses showed that greater CES-D(log) was associated significantly with higher average systolic (b = 3.348; P = 0.02) and diastolic (b = 1.730; P < 0.03) blood pressure for older adults (≥58.8 years at first visit). In the younger age cohort, sex moderated the relation of CES-D(log) to systolic blood pressure (b = -3.563; P = 0.007); greater CES-D(log) in women, but lesser CES-D(log) in men, was associated with higher systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate sex and age differences in the relation between depressive symptoms and blood pressure. Findings suggest the potential importance of preventing, detecting, and lowering depressive symptoms to prevent hypertension among women and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauli T Shah
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
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Richardson VE, Bennett KM, Carr D, Gallagher S, Kim J, Fields N. How Does Bereavement Get Under the Skin? The Effects of Late-Life Spousal Loss on Cortisol Levels. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2013; 70:341-7. [DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Glozier N, Tofler GH, Colquhoun DM, Bunker SJ, Clarke DM, Hare DL, Hickie IB, Tatoulis J, Thompson DR, Wilson A, Branagan MG. Psychosocial risk factors for coronary heart disease. Med J Aust 2013; 199:179-80. [PMID: 23909539 DOI: 10.5694/mja13.10440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In 2003, the National Heart Foundation of Australia published a position statement on psychosocial risk factors and coronary heart disease (CHD). This consensus statement provides an updated review of the literature on psychosocial stressors, including chronic stressors (in particular, work stress), acute individual stressors and acute population stressors, to guide health professionals based on current evidence. It complements a separate updated statement on depression and CHD. Perceived chronic job strain and shift work are associated with a small absolute increased risk of developing CHD, but there is limited evidence regarding their effect on the prognosis of CHD. Evidence regarding a relationship between CHD and job (in)security, job satisfaction, working hours, effort-reward imbalance and job loss is inconclusive. Expert consensus is that workplace programs aimed at weight loss, exercise and other standard cardiovascular risk factors may have positive outcomes for these risk factors, but no evidence is available regarding the effect of such programs on the development of CHD. Social isolation after myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with an adverse prognosis. Expert consensus is that although measures to reduce social isolation are likely to produce positive psychosocial effects, it is unclear whether this would also improve CHD outcomes. Acute emotional stress may trigger MI or takotsubo ("stress") cardiomyopathy, but the absolute increase in transient risk from an individual stressor is low. Psychosocial stressors have an impact on CHD, but clinical significance and prevention require further study. Awareness of the potential for increased cardiovascular risk among populations exposed to natural disasters and other conditions of extreme stress may be useful for emergency services response planning. Wider public access to defibrillators should be available where large populations gather, such as sporting venues and airports, and as part of the response to natural and other disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Glozier
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
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