Vulnerability and Resilience After Partner Loss Through Divorce and Bereavement: Contributions of the LIVES ‘Intimate partner loss study’

AbstractCritical life events, such as partner loss, in the second half of life pose a significant threat to well-being. Divorce and bereavement have negative consequences for mental and physical health, identity, social relationships and financial adequacy, among others, which can lead to loss of resources and trigger vulnerability. The LIVES “Intimate Partner Loss Study” investigates adaptation to these critical life events in later life, that is also challenged by age-related changes. Specifically, the focus of this study lied on the investigation of patterns of adaptation and their characteristics, considering different types of resources (e.g., intimate partner, personality traits), personal growth, and accumulation and persistence of disadvantage (e.g., critical life events across the life course). It is a prospective longitudinal study (3 waves of data collection) that was conducted in the French and German-speaking parts of Switzerland from 2012 to 2016. The sample consisted of 963 separated or divorced individuals, 563 widow(er)s, and 1279 continuously married individuals (more than 15 years), who served as a reference group. Results highlighted the different adaptation patterns to later life divorce and bereavement regarding timing, coping mechanisms, and resilience, and furthermore identified individuals who became more vulnerable after the critical partner loss events. Implications for research and practice are discussed.