Trajectories of geriatric depression after spousal loss: Effects of sudden loss and social engagement

Objectives: Bereavement poses a significant mental health risk later in life; however, many older adults exhibit resilience in the face of loss. Based on the Dual Process Model (DPM) of coping with bereavement, this study investigated how psychological and social factors pertaining to loss- and restoration-oriented processes predict geriatric depression trajectories following spousal loss.Methods: Using eight waves of data from the 2006–2020 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), this study analyzed 510 individuals who experienced spousal loss during the 14-year period.Results: Longitudinal multilevel modeling showed that time alone did not predict decreased depression. Instead, sudden loss and higher baseline depression led to increased depression, whereas greater informal social engagement (meeting friends), older age, better general health, and economic satisfaction were associated with lower depression. Notably, the effects of sudden loss and baseline depression decreased over time.Conclusion: Consistent with the DPM, loss-oriented processes, such as sudden loss, predicted short-term outcomes, while restoration-oriented processes, particularly informal social engagement, facilitated long-term adaptation. Highlighting the heterogeneity of depression trajectories among older South Korean adults, this study suggests the importance of evaluating both individual differences and changes over time to effectively address geriatric depression following spousal loss.