Marital bond, external confidant relationship, and the level of depression during conjugal bereavement among the elderly.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of clinical depression in an elderly group of individuals age 65 or older. Another purpose was to determine if there is an association between the marital relationship, and external confidant, and the appearance of clinical depression in conjugally bereaved elderly. Data were collected from the bereaved at one month, two months and six months following the death of a spouse. A matched group of non-bereaved controls was used. The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was used to evaluate the presence or absence of depression. The results were analyzed using contingency tables with Tau B and Fisher's Exact Test statistics. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis was completed. The only statistically significant finding was that at one month following the death of a spouse, the bereaved elderly exhibited a higher rate of depression than a matched group of non-bereaved controls. An important finding was that over one-third of the bereaved sample was experiencing clinical depression at all three time periods. Implications for nursing, including beginning and advanced level practitioners, were identified