The Stigma of Widowhood in a War and Disaster Affected Context: Women in Sri Lanka

The data for this study were collected in 2016 from a sample of 385 widows in Eastern Sri Lanka whose spouses died in the civil war, in the tsunami, or from health-related or other problems. The Conservation of Resources theory (COR, Hobfoll, 1989) was used as a lens by which to examine the presence of internalized stigma of mental health in the context of loss in a post-war and tsunami environment depleted of resources and the association of that stigma with other indices of mental health distress. Specifically, we investigated the factor structure of a scale originally outfitted to capture the measurement internalized stigma of mental health, adapted to measure stigma related to widowhood in the current sample.

We took adapted scale items and fit a measurement model, aligned with Ritscher, Otilingam, and Grajales’ (2003) assignment of sub-scales. Fit indices suggested a reasonable fit of the model. However, because of a high correlation of one of sub-scales, stereotype endorsement, with the other sub-scales, we combined the stereotype endorsement sub-scale with the sub-scale capturing perceived discrimination. Implications and specific findings will be discussed with regard to utilizing this and other measures of contextual experiences relating to trauma-born statuses with women, widows, and international samples.

The results of the confirmatory factor analysis with the sub-scales of social withdrawal, alienation, and perceived discrimination and stereotype endorsement suggested a reasonably well fitting model (X2 = 150.85, df = 62, p < .001, RMSEA = .064, CFI = .901, TLI =.876). The factor loadings were all significant and relatively strong (<.5 in all cases but 1). The three latent constructs were highly correlated (<.6). In addition, the stigma of widowhood (taken as a whole scale) correlated significantly and moderately with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms such that higher distress correlated with higher levels of stigma.

The importance of this study lies in the clarifying of cross-cultural measurement of a key way in which a social location like widowhood has an impact the lives of those occupying it: stigma. In order to understand how widowed populations throughout the world (a growing group in response to war and illness) experience life and distress, we need clear measures commenting not only on psychological distress but role related distress that speaks directly to social context, privilege and resources.