GENDER DIFFERENCES IN EMOTIONAL PROCESSING AMONG BEREAVED OLDER ADULTS

This study investigated gender differences in an emotional disclosure intervention for bereaved older adults. Participants verbally disclosed their thoughts and feelings about the death of their spouse in four 20-minute sessions, in accordance with the Pennebaker (1985) disclosure paradigm. Results showed similar therapeutic benefits for males (n=13) and females (n=23) over 3 time periods, but process measures indicated that males experienced a greater upsurge in negative feelings from presession to postsession. Females showed a steady decrease in negative feelings across disclosure sessions, whereas males remained moderately negative. Correlational analyses indicated differential mechanisms of improvement among males and females. For females, higher levels of negative affect and greater decreases in negative thoughts were associated with greater therapeutic changes. For males, the mechanisms of change were less clear. Despite differences in the way widowers and widows experience the process of emotional expression, both can expect to benefit equally from this intervention.