Universität zu Köln

Jessee, Lisa ORCID: 0000-0002-1906-1925, Kim-Knauss, Yaeji ORCID: 0000-0003-3681-1895, Schmitz, Alina ORCID: 0000-0002-8480-1977, Nashef-Hamuda, Reem ORCID: 0009-0006-2387-1767, Köttl, Hanna ORCID: 0000-0002-0644-5145, Cohn-Schwartz, Ella ORCID: 0000-0001-9623-1820 and de Paula Couto, M. Clara P. ORCID: 0000-0003-2595-9579 (2025). When Parents Grieve: Adult Child Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Men and Women After Widowhood. Research on Aging. pp. 1-14. Sage. ISSN 0164-0275

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Abstract

Widowhood often leads to increased depressive symptoms, yet the gendered role of adult-child support in moderating these consequences is understudied. We used eight waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and fixed-effects panel regression to assess how three forms of support from adult children – contact frequency, instrumental support, and geographic proximity – affect depressive symptoms in 2,600 widowed women and 896 widowed men. Results show that weekly contact with at least one adult child buffered the increase in depressive symptoms after widowhood, whereas the receipt of instrumental support was associated with larger increases. Additionally, those living within 25 km of the nearest child experienced smaller increases in depressive symptoms compared to those with cohabiting children. No gender differences emerged. The findings emphasize that the effectiveness of adult children’s support depends on the specific type; there’s no universal solution to helping bereaved parents adapt to widowhood.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Jessee, Lisa UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1906-1925 UNSPECIFIED Kim-Knauss, Yaeji UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3681-1895 UNSPECIFIED Schmitz, Alina UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8480-1977 UNSPECIFIED Nashef-Hamuda, Reem UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2387-1767 UNSPECIFIED Köttl, Hanna UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-5145 UNSPECIFIED Cohn-Schwartz, Ella UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9623-1820 UNSPECIFIED de Paula Couto, M. Clara P. UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2595-9579 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-812165
Identification Number:	10.1177/01640275251404880
Journal or Publication Title:	Research on Aging
Volume:	0
Number:	0
Page Range:	pp. 1-14
Number of Pages:	14
Date:	5 December 2025
Publisher:	Sage
ISSN:	0164-0275
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Sociology and Social Psychology > Department of Economic and Social Psychology
Subjects:	Psychology Social sciences Economics
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language spousal loss ; bereavement ; mental health ; gender ; parent-child relationships ; intergenerational solidarity English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81216