A serious illness or death in the family may take a greater toll on women’s health than men’s, research findings suggest.

In a study of more than 27,000 adults in Finland, researchers found that women were more likely than men to report health problems after a close relative fell ill or died. And among all adults who reported such health effects, women typically took longer to recover.

“Our findings suggest that women are more vulnerable than men in the aftermath of a death or illness in their extended family,” the study authors report in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

This may reflect the tendency of women to be more invested in family life, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Jussi Vahtera of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Turku.

Women are more likely to fill the “carer role,” either directly caring for a sick family member or offering emotional support to the family in general, Vahtera told Reuters Health.

This, he explained, may ultimately exact a toll on their own health - an effect known as the “cost of caring.”

The findings come from an ongoing health study of 27,217 Finnish public employees, mostly women. As part of that research, participants reported any recent illnesses or deaths in the family, and rated their own health on standard questionnaires.

Vahtera’s team then linked this information with work records showing the number of sick days each employee took over several years, before and after the family illness or death.

Overall, women reported more health problems and took more sick leave than men did after a spouse or other family member fell ill or died. And while men tended to report poorer health only in the few months following the illness or death, many women were still feeling the effects one year later.

According to Vahtera, the findings suggest that many women need more help in taking care of ill family members - and that they need to receive, and not only give, emotional support during family crises.

“It is of utmost importance to pay special attention to women’s health in the aftermath of a family death or illness,” he said.

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, March/April 2006.