Research on “the widowhood effect” shows that mortality rates are greater among people
who have recently lost a spouse. There are several medical and psychological explanations …

Objectives Social participation is important to the quality of life of older adults, especially
widows. This is the first study to test whether older widows' formal and informal social …

Abstract Background The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) has
collected 3 rounds of data on older adults' egocentric social networks. We describe the …

Objectives Research among older adults reveals that the loss of core network members is a
risk factor for loneliness. Still, it is not clear whether all such losses induce similar levels of …

Panel data have generated several insights about changes in kin relationships, yet few
studies examine these shifts across multiple dimensions of time simultaneously. In this …

How do personal networks evolve as individuals age? To what degree do social
disadvantage and contextual factors matter for network dynamics in later life? This paper …

A growing number of older adults maintain connections in their core discussion networks at
variant distances, raising concerns about the lack of discussants in proximity and the …

Objectives People's partners and spouses often provide a wide range of essential emotional
and practical support. As crucial as they may be, a nontrivial segment of the older population …

Social relationships play a crucial role in shaping the health and well-being of older adults.
Despite extensive research on the benefits of social connectedness, changing social and …

Research on social isolation and loneliness in later life has emphasized family, especially
nearby members, as important sources of support. Meanwhile, non-proximate and non-kin …