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Abstract
To assess the cognitive abilities of widowed elders, a total sample of 34 elders (who have lost their spouses in the last 12 months) was identified among elders in Veranópolis-RS and 30 of them accepted to participate in the study. The control group was composed by 30 married subjects paired according to gender, age and level of education. The instruments used were: Measure Questionnaire of Memory Loss Complaints; Verbal Fluency - animal category; Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test; Digit subtest; Geriatric Depression Scales and Bereavement Phenomenology Questionnaire. Widowed elders had significantly more depressive symptoms and more points on the bereavement scale. However, there was no significant difference between the means of cognitive performance of widowed or married elders. In the census, the choice of widowhood as a selection criterion instead of bereavement (self reported) might have influenced the lack of association between widowhood and cognitive dysfunction, among other aspects.