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Relationship satisfaction determines the association between Epstein–Barr virus latency and somatic symptoms after the loss of a spouse
Author(s) -
LeRoy Angie S.,
Petit Whitney E.,
Brown Ryan L.,
Murdock Kyle W.,
Garcini Luz M.,
Stowe Raymond P.,
Fagundes Chris P.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/pere.12336
Subject(s) - spouse , psychology , somatic cell , population , grief , association (psychology) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , biology , psychotherapist , biochemistry , environmental health , sociology , anthropology , gene
The loss of a spouse is associated with a host of negative health outcomes. While bereaved individuals commonly report somatic symptoms, no investigations exist of the association between reactivation of latent Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and somatic symptoms among this population. Further, how an individual perceives the quality of their lost relationship in retrospect may impact loss outcomes. Among 99 bereaved spouses, elevated EBV antibody titers were associated with somatic symptoms for those who retrospectively reported high or mean levels of relationship satisfaction (RS), but not among those less satisfied. Further, higher RS was associated with greater grief symptoms. This study identifies higher retrospective RS as a possible risk factor for negative physical and mental health outcomes during bereavement.