ABSTRACT
The study of sibling bereavement in older adulthood has received relatively little attention, despite a growing body of anecdotal and empirical evidence suggesting that the loss of a brother or sister in later life can have a significant impact on one’s sense of well-being, self-identity, and mortality (Cicirelli, 2009; Hays, Gold, & Pieper, 1997; Moss & Moss, 1989; Rostila, Saarela, & Kawachi, 2012). In some ways, this lack of attention is perhaps not surprising, given that few older adults live with a sibling, provide substantial care to a sibling, and/ or seek counseling after the death of a sibling (Cicirelli, 1985; Connidis, 1994; Moss & Moss, 1989). However, in this chapter we review the existing literature on sibling loss in later life and, in light of the provocative findings that have emerged thus far, argue that more research on this topic is sorely needed. We begin by examining the mental and physical health implications of sibling loss in older adulthood, followed by a discussion of possible risk factors, protective factors, and clinical strategies for working with older adults who have lost a sibling. Throughout the chapter, key points are
illustrated through the case example of Alice – an 89-year-old woman who over the course of her lifetime experienced the loss of all five of her siblings.
