Social Disengagement and Mental Health among Widows: The Role of Financial Difficulties as a Mediator

Abstract

The current study was designed to investigate the mediating role of financial difficulty between social engagement and mental health problems among widows in Pakistan. A correlational research design was used on 300 widows residing in Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. According to the inclusion criteria, 250 participants were incorporated in the final analysis. Standardized measures; the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) to assess social engagement, Financial Well-Being Scale (FWBS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) to assess depressive symptoms and emotional well-being were used to collect data. The findings revealed that financial well-being mediated the association between social engagement and depressive symptoms in widowed women. High social participation was negatively correlated with the perceived financial well-being; the destabilized economic safety eventually linked with increased depressive symptomatology. The findings indicated the complicated association between social relationships, economic conditions, and mental health among widowed women. The findings of the current study highlighted the need of considering the socioeconomic background when focusing on the psychological well-being of widows and show that the intervention programs must also focus to reduce social isolation and the financial hardships to achieve a better mental health outcome.