Differences in coping with loss of loved ones

There is a “stark” difference between the way older men and women cope with the loss of a loved one, a charity has found.

Although women are more likely than men to open up about bereavement, they still report greater feelings of loneliness, said Independent Age.

Almost one-third of men did not turn to anyone for emotional or practical support following the death of a family member compared with just 18% of women, according to a poll of more than 2,000 bereaved people over the age of 65 from around the UK.

More than half of women said speaking to friends helped them deal with grief, compared with one-third of men, the charity found.

Meanwhile 30% of women said feelings of loneliness were the thing they found most difficult following bereavement compared with 17% of men.

Overall, those aged over 65 felt lonely for an average of eight months after being bereaved.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “Everyone deals with grief in their own way and for some people feelings of grief will never completely go away: there’s no one way or set amount of time to grieve, but we would urge older people to reach out for help and support if they need it.

“Independent Age’s new, free advice guide, Coping With Bereavement, is a great place to start when you don’t know where to turn.”