Short-term mental health sequelae of bereavement predict long-term physical health decline in older adults: US Health and Retirement Study Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Spousal death is a common late-life event with health-related sequelae. Evidence linking poor mental health to disease suggests the hypothesis that poor mental health following death of a spouse could be a harbinger of physical health decline. Thus, identification of bereavement-related mental health symptoms could provide an opportunity for prevention. METHODS: We analyzed data from N=39,162 individuals followed from 1994-2016 in the US Health and Retirement Study; N=5,061 were widowed during follow-up. We tested change in mental and physical health from pre-bereavement through the 5-years following spousal death. RESULTS: Bereaved spouses experienced an increase in depressive symptoms following their spouses' deaths but the depressive shock attenuated within one year. Bereaved spouses experienced increases in disability, chronic-disease morbidity, and hospitalization, which grew in magnitude over time, especially among older respondents. Bereaved spouses were at increased risk of death compared to non-bereaved respondents. The magnitude of depressive symptoms in the immediate aftermath of spousal death predicted physical-health decline and mortality risk over 5 years of follow-up. DISCUSSION: Bereavement-related depressive symptoms indicate a risk for physical health decline and death in older adults. Screening for depressive symptoms in bereaved older adults may represent an opportunity for intervention to preserve healthy lifespan.