Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004–17) and time diaries from Poland (2013), the U.S. (2006–16), the U.K. (2014–15) and France (2009–10), we examine differences between widowed and partnered older women in well-being and its development in widowhood. Most importantly, our analysis accounts for time use, an aspect which has not been studied previously. We trace the evolution of well-being of women who become widowed by comparing them with their matched non-widowed ‘statistical twins’ and examine the role of an exceptionally broad set of potential moderators of widowhood’s impact on well-being. We confirm a dramatic decrease in mental health and life satisfaction after the loss of partner, followed by a slow partial recovery over a 5-year period. An extensive set of controls recorded prior to widowhood, including detailed family ties and social networks, provides little help in explaining the deterioration in well-being. Unique data from time-diaries kept by older women in several European countries and the U.S. tell us why: the key factor behind widows’ reduced well-being is increased time spent alone.

使用欧洲健康、老龄化和退休调查（SHARE，2004-17）和波兰（2013）、美国（2006-16）、英国（2014-15）和法国（2009-10）的时间日志中的数据)，我们研究了丧偶和有伴侣的老年妇女在幸福方面的差异及其在丧偶中的发展。最重要的是，我们的分析考虑了时间使用，这是以前没有研究过的一个方面。我们通过将丧偶妇女与匹配的非丧偶“统计双胞胎”进行比较，追踪丧偶妇女的幸福感演变，并研究丧偶对幸福感影响的一组异常广泛的潜在调节剂的作用。我们确认失去伴侣后心理健康和生活满意度急剧下降，随后在 5 年内缓慢部分恢复。在鳏夫期之前记录的大量控制，包括详细的家庭关系和社交网络，对解释幸福感的恶化几乎没有帮助。几个欧洲国家和美国老年妇女保存的时间日记中的独特数据告诉我们原因：寡妇幸福感下降的关键因素是独处时间增加。