ABSTRACT
This chapter develops a simple self-report measure of adjustment-depression. It identifies factors relating to adjustment so as to assist physicians, local clergy, and other helping agents predict which spouses would have the greatest difficulty during bereavement. The chapter identifies problems of widowed persons. It describes which people within and without the hospital helped widowed persons most and how they helped. The widowed people were interviewed in their homes from thirteen to sixteen months after the death of their husband or wife. As expected, married persons were significantly better adjusted than widowed persons as measured by the Adjustment Scale. Widows who had forewarning about the approaching death of their husbands had a significantly higher level of adjustment than the widowed who had no forewarning. Widowed persons with college degrees were significantly better adjusted than those with a high school education or less.
