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Home Alone: Widows' Well-Being and Time

Author

Listed:
  • Adena, Maja

    (WZB - Social Science Research Center Berlin)

  • Hamermesh, Daniel S.

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Myck, Michal

    (Centre for Economic Analysis, CenEA)

  • Oczkowska, Monika

    (Centre for Economic Analysis, CenEA)

Abstract

Losing a partner is a life-changing experience. We draw on numerous datasets to examine differences between widowed and partnered older women and to provide a comprehensive picture of well-being in widowhood. Most importantly, our analysis accounts for time use in widowhood, an aspect which has not been studied previously. Based on data from several European countries we trace the evolution of well-being of women who become widowed by comparing them with their matched non-widowed 'statistical twins' and examine the role of an exceptionally broad set of potential moderators of widowhood's impact on well-being. We confirm a dramatic decrease in mental health and life satisfaction after the loss of partner, followed by a slow recovery. An extensive set of controls recorded prior to widowhood, including detailed family ties and social networks, provides little help in explaining the deterioration in well-being. Unique data from time-diaries kept by older women from several European countries and the U.S. tell us why: the key factor behind widows' reduced well-being is increased time spent alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Adena, Maja & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Myck, Michal & Oczkowska, Monika, 2021. "Home Alone: Widows' Well-Being and Time," IZA Discussion Papers 14881, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14881
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    References listed on IDEAS

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      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2023-02-27 18:47:42

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    Cited by:

    1. Naomi Friedman-Sokuler & Claudia Senik, 2023. "Time-Use and Subjective Well-Being: Is Diversity Really the Spice of Life?," Post-Print halshs-04192665, HAL.
    2. Naomi Friedman-Sokuler & Claudia Senik, 2023. "Time-Use and Subjective Well-Being: Is Diversity Really the Spice of Life?," Research in Labor Economics, in: Time Use in Economics, volume 51, pages 1-33, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    3. Magaña, Diego, 2023. "Diferencias de género en el bienestar de los adultos en el Reino Unido (2014-15) [Gender Differences in Adult Wellbeing in the United Kingdom (2014-15)]," MPRA Paper 118560, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    time use; well-being; social networks; widowhood;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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