Forewarning of a Husband's Death: Does it Make a Difference for Older Widows?

To date, studies of spousal anticipatory grief have resulted in equivocal results. One complicating factor is that a variety of events are apt to occur concomitantly with forewarning of a spouse's death; these events may facilitate faster recovery from grief. It was hypothesized that being forewarned, being a caregiver, and having had discussions with the husband on various topics before his death contribute to faster psychological adjustment for an older widow. Results provide evidence that both forewarning of the spouse's death and the couple's discussion of the wife's future financial circumstances are related to higher levels of positive affect in widowhood but do not relate to negative affect.