IAGG 2017 World Congress Discussion: Our results echo previous work suggest- ing that spousal loss harms cognitive function, that males are more affected by spousal bereavement, and that ele- vated risk seems to decline with time since widow(er) hood. The effect of spousal bereavement on cognitive function may be more pronounced when spousal loss is unanticipated. THE GENDERED EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL RESOURCES ACROSS THE TRANSITION TO LATE- LIFE WIDOWHOOD L. Isherwood, National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Widowhood in later life is a transitional event necessitat- ing considerable change and presents differing challenges for men and women. Social resources - close relationships, social support exchange and opportunities for social participation - can assist in successful adjustment to spousal loss. Using the perspective of life course theory, this study sought to under- stand the gendered experience of social resources during the transition to widowhood. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 men and women (aged between 85 and 96 years) who had been widowed in later life. Participants were asked about the continuity and changes which had occurred in their social resources both pre- and post-widowhood. The role that these resources played in adjustment to spousal bereavement was also explored. The interview data were analysed thematically using framework analysis. Four different phases in the transition to widowhood were identifed each with differential experiences of con- tact with the social network, support and social par- ticipation. Older men and women experienced different opportunities in the accessibility and mobilisation of their social resources in widowhood. Male participants reported smaller social networks and received less support then female participants during all phases in the transition to widowhood. They also experienced fewer opportunities for social participation and were consequently more likely to be socially isolated. The stronger social resources possessed by older widowed women may assist them in better meet- ing the challenges associated with spousal bereavement. Potential gender differences should be taken into account in the assessment and planning of supports and services for older widowed adults. MENTAL HEALTH AND THE RELATING FACTORS AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS WHO LOST THEIR ONLY CHILDREN D. Wang 1 , X. Cao 1 , P. Yang 2 , R. Liu 2 , 1. Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, 2. Beijing Hualingyiyang Mental Health Care Center, Beijing, China The number of older adults who lost their only children is increasing year by year with the implementation of the birth control policy in mainland China. Theywould encounter not only the pain caused by the loss of the childbut also the pres- sure imposed by social context. However, few empiricalstud- ies haverevealed the mental health among these vulnerable people. This study aimed at investigating the mental health status and the factors associated among them. The sample consisted of 116 older adults who lost their only children (the lost group) and 100 older adults who didn’t (the contrast group) from same communities. Participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires to measure child death-related factors (time and cause of death), physical health (number of disease and self-rated physical health), social support (satisfaction of formal social support, participation in community activity, and marital quality), resilience, and mental health (depression, loneli- ness, and anxiety). The fndings revealed that,lost group reported more depression and anxiety symptoms than contrast group and females had more depression symptoms than males;Within the lost group, those whose children died of accidents showed worse mental health while those who had higher resilience, marital quality, and better physical health reported lower level of depression and anxiety. Community practices should channel more resources to improve the mental health of older adults who lost their only children. Efforts will be signifcantly valuable when focusing on enhancing resilience, physical health or marital quality of parents according to the present study. SURVEYING ELDERLY PATIENTS’ WISHES ABOUT ARTIFICIAL NUTRITION DURING END-OF-LIFE CARE IN JAPAN Y. Yamaguchi 1 , H. Mori 2 , M. Ishii 1 , K. Yamaguchi 1 , S. Iijima 3 , S. Ogawa 1 , M. Akishita 1 , 1. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 2. Nursing Division, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 3. Rehabilitation Services Bureau, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama, Japan Because ambiguity is one of the prominent features of Japanese culture, it is crucial to understand how many Japanese elderly persons have strong wishes related to end-of-life care. Ninety-nine consecutive inpatients aged 75 years or older were enrolled in the frst survey from 2012 to 2014, after excluding patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 20 or less. The frst survey was performed by interviewing them about their wishes related to artifcial nutrition and hydration (ANH) during end-of-life care. For the 35 patients who had attended the frst survey, we performed the second survey from 2015 to 2016 by handing them the questionnaire comprised of the same items as the frst survey. 50.0% of the participants were against ANH at the end stage of their lives on the frst survey. In contrast, only 5.3% wished to receive ANH. The answers of the other patients were inconsistent or included “I don’t know”. Aging and MMSE scores of less than 24 were signifcantly associated with a higher tendency to decline from participating in the interview. However, the distribu- tion of the interview answers was not associated with age or MMSE scores. Interestingly, 87.5% of the patients who had been against ANH on the frst survey selected the same answers on the second survey, while only 20.0% of the other patients selected the same answers as the frst survey. In con- clusion, many patients did not have defnite wishes in Japan. However, most of the wishes against ANH did not change with age. 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