From Invisible Suffering to Restored Dignity: Psychological Study of Widows

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21296395

Nitu Jain (Department of Psychology, M.A.C.W, Jhajjar, Haryana)

The presented research paper is dedicated to the weak and exploited section of society, whose pain is accepted with insensitivity towards this section, which is clearly visible. Here, one is talking about the widow’s life. Everyone knows and doesn’t want to understand that one day everyone has to die, some earlier, some later. Despite knowing this, people don’t try to understand the deep psychological sorrow of that person, their pain, anguish, restlessness, and the internal disintegration a woman experiences who has lost her spouse. The death of a spouse is one of the most stressful life events that can have profound negative impacts on all aspects of life, physically, mentally, and socially (Holme & Rahe, 1967). According to the United Nations, there are over 258 million widows worldwide, of whom approximately 42-56 million (42 million to 56 million) are in India (United Nations, 2022). Several studies have shown that widows suffer more from anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, and social exclusion than married women (Stroebe, Schut, & Stroebe, 2007; Carr, House, Wortman, Nesse, & Kessler, 2000). The present paper is a review-based analysis of research on various aspects of widowhood, such as child widowhood, domestic violence, and social, mental, and economic problems. Additionally, the research paper also highlights issues such as grief counselling, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, yoga, skill development, and reforms in widowhood laws.