Effects of a Visiting Service for Older Widowed Individuals: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The loss of the partner is an important risk factor for developing serious psychological problems. In this study the authors examined the effect of the visiting service on the mental health and quality of life of older widowed individuals. They conducted a pragmatic randomized trial. All respondents were randomly assigned to a visiting service (n = 110) or a control condition (n = 106) and were interviewed at baseline, at 6 months, and at 12 months after baseline. The visiting service was not more effective than the control condition in the overall sample. However, socially lonely, physically ill, or low-educated respondents improved more in the experimental group than in the control group.