"Who Am I Without My Partner; I've Lost Half My Whole.": Do You Believe in Love After Loss? Gender and Repartnering in Older Widowhood.

In the dynamics of family relationships, the death of a spouse or partner affects not only the surviving partner, but other family members as well. Understanding how older people cope with this loss and their desire, or lack of desire, to repartner can be challenging for everyone involved. Little attention has been giving to the romantic interests of older widowed people. Previous studies have indicated that men desire, and are more likely to repartner. Available studies are outdated and may not reflect current attitudes. The purpose of this study is to better understand the current gendered differences in the desire of older adults repartner, how it relates to existing literature and what these relationships may look like now. The findings indicate that theories on repartnering are more complex than initial suggested illustrating the need for further, updated research.