ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8047-7545

Year

2026

Season

Spring

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science in Psychological Science (MSPS)

Department

Psychological and Brain Sciences

NACO controlled Corporate Body

University of North Florida. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Committee Chairperson

Dr. Angie S. LeRoy

Second Advisor

Dr. Dan Richard

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Third Advisor

Dr. Lori Lange

Department Chair

Dr. Lori Lange

College Dean

Kaveri Subrahmanyam

Abstract

Losing a spouse is considered one of the most stressful life events that disproportionately affect older individuals. Exposure to traumatic events at an early age can change the body’s response to subsequent stressors across the lifespan. These physical changes often impact people’s health. Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study, the current study aimed to investigate the link between: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and three indicators of health: inflammation (i.e., c-reactive protein [CRP], reflecting immune functioning), as well as self-reported depressive symptoms and physical health, among people who have lost a spouse. Participants included 97 widowed individuals aged 68 to 79 years old and residing in the United States. While initial analyses assessing total cumulative ACE scores yielded non-significant associations with these health outcomes, subsequent ancillary analyses identified significant relationships between specific ACE domains and health outcomes. Specifically, an adjusted ACE score (excluding father’s occupation) significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Further, risky parental and adolescent behavior domains were significant predictors of self-rated health. Inflammation (CRP) was not significantly predicted by any factors in this sample. These findings suggest that specific domains of childhood adversity significantly impact the later-life psychological and physiological health of widowed, older adults. This research emphasizes the need for clinicians to assess domain-specific childhood histories when treating individuals following spousal loss.

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