Mortality Risk after Bereavement in Italy

Chiara Ludovica Comolli , University of Bologna
Diego Pieroni, INPS
Valentina Ricci, INPS

A rich literature documents that bereavement, having lost a significant person through death, is associated with excess risk of mortality and decrements in physical and mental health. The impact of bereavement is strongest early after the loss but can lead to long-lasting disorders. The reach of the consequences of bereavement tend also to differ between socio-demographic and socio-economic groups. Despite their relevance, the role of these factors as mediators and moderators of the association between spousal death and own mortality risk remains under-researched. Using Italian register data from the National Institute of Social Security (INPS) and stepwise logistic regression, the study investigates the relationship between the experience of bereavement and mortality risk on Italian old-age pensioners. The study explores the role of gender, age, region of residence and socioeconomic heterogeneities in the mortality risk of widowed pensioners. Furthermore, we analyse how the mortality risk varies depending on time since bereavement.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 5. Kinship Demography: Mortality Risks, Inequalities and Longevity.