SynthesisSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2019
The association of time since spousal loss and depression in widowhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Research trends and hotspots in the mental health of widowed older adults: a bibliometric analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Identification of risk factors for post-intensive care syndrome in family members (PICS-F) among adult patients: a systematic review.Anaesthesiology intensive therapy · 2023Pooled it
- Spousal caregiving, widowhood, and cognition: A systematic review and a biopsychosocial framework for understanding the relationship between interpersonal losses and dementia risk in older adulthood.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Ayahuasca-assisted meaning reconstruction therapy as an early resource for bereavement: a non-randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Dyadic death-preparedness concordance states and bereaved caregivers' health-related quality of life and psychological outcomes: a longitudinal study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Stress-induced IL-6 response patterns amplify the link between daily negative affect and later depressive symptoms during bereavement.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
- An umbrella review of psychological capacity and mental health trajectories across the life course.Nature. Mental health · 2026Article
- Persistence and Determinants of Late-Life Depression: Results of the Nationally Representative Longitudinal German Aging Survey 2008 to 2023.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2025Article
- Depressive symptom networks before and after widowhood in middle-aged and older adults: findings from four prospective cohort studies.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2025Article
- Cortical thickness and low-grade inflammation moderate the association between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in early widowhood: A preliminary study.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2025Article
- The association between widowhood duration and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults: mediation role of sleeping duration and dietary diversity.European journal of ageing · 2025Article
- When helping helps: benefits of daily advice provision on mood among older adults with life problems.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Process evaluation of a self-compassion-based online group psychotherapy programme for bereavement-related grief: a thematic analysis of the COMPACT feasibility trial.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Associations Between Pre-Widowhood Psychological Resilience and Subsequent Depressive Symptom Recovery Following Spousal Loss Among Men and Women.The Gerontologist · 2025Article
- Observational
- Cause-specific mortality after spousal bereavement in a Danish register-based cohort.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Estimating the Sex Gap in Depression-Free Life Expectancy Among Widowed Americans Aged 50 and Older: An Application Using the Interpolated Markov Chain Approach.Journal of aging and health · 2025Article
- Association of social determinants of health and age at menopause: NHANES 1999-2018 observational study.Human reproduction open · 2025Article
- Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
- Inter-relationships of depression and anxiety symptoms among widowed and non-widowed older adults: findings from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey based on network analysis and propensity score matching.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the association of the prevalence of depression and time since spousal loss in widowed people.
methodsThe databases MEDLINE, Embase and PsycInfo were searched (May 2017) for papers reporting on time since spousal loss in widowed people and the prevalence of common mental disorders. A systematic review was conducted according to MOOSE guidelines. Random effects meta-analyses of the prevalence of depression were conducted by intervals of time since spousal loss.
resultsThe literature search identified 12,982 studies of which 22 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. Of these, 14 were furthermore eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The summary estimates found in the meta-analysis for the prevalence of depression in the intervals of time since spousal loss were: ≤ 1 month: 38.2% (21.9-55.8%); > 1 month to 3 months: 25.0% (17.3-33.5%); > 3 months to 6 months: 23.1% (18.0-28.7%); > 6 months to 12 months: 19.4% (15.2-24.0%); > 12 months to 18 months: 11.1% (5.3-18.7%); > 18 months to 24 months: 15.2% (12.3-18.2%); > 24 months to 60 months: 10.5% (4.3-18.5%).
conclusionWidowhood is associated with a high prevalence of depression and the study identifies a population group needing special attention in daily clinical practice. The prevalence is highest in the first month of widowhood, however, continues to be high at least 5 years into widowhood.
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Registered trials
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