The Widowhood Effect across Diverse Partnerships: Mortality Risk after Partner Loss in Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Unions

Estelle Knoblauch , Bielefeld University
Stefanie Mollborn, Stockholm University
Kaare Christensen, University of Southern Denmark
Anna Oksuzyan, Bielefeld University

Losing a marital partner to death is a stressful life event with adverse health effects, including excess mortality risk. Previous research has focused on examining the widowhood effect within mixed-sex unions. Despite the increasing number of same-sex unions, gender composition within a union has not been considered when investigating the widowhood effect. Utilizing Danish Register Data from 1989 to 2022, this study investigates disparities in mortality risk following partner loss among surviving same-sex and mixed-sex partners. Our results reveal that within the initial three years of widowhood, surviving same-sex partners have a higher risk of dying than mixed-sex partners. After three years of widowhood, the mortality risk differences between surviving same-sex and mixed-sex partners are similar to pre-loss differences. The results suggest that, in the short term, the health implications of widowhood may be more profound for individuals who were in a same-sex union. Additional minority stress experienced during widowhood, a lack of social support, and higher health concordance among same-sex partners may contribute to increased vulnerability and, consequently, elevated mortality risk. Relationship dynamics within same-sex couples may also prepare surviving same-sex partners to eventually adapt to the new life situation the loss entails.

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 Presented in Session 85. Migrant Mortality