What do the neighbors think now? Community residences on Long Island, New York.

Interviews with 75 neighbors of community residences for adults disabled by mental illness assessed perceptions of impact in five suburban communities. The Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) attitude articulated during program development changed to one of acceptance over time. After a few years experience, the overwhelming majority agreed that the community residences are good neighbors; they have had no problems; and the residences had no adverse effect on property values. The New York State Site Selection Law and comparative data on property value impact are discussed.

Widowhood and well-being: an examination of sex differences within a causal model.

National survey data (NCOA/Harris and Associates, 1974) are analyzed in a causal model to discern differences in the effects of widowhood on the well-being of older men and women. Based on previous research on mental illness, mortality differentials, and the quality of life, it is hypothesized that widowhood has an adverse impact on well-being, and that this relation is stronger for men than women. While the data support an overall decline in well-being of persons who are widowed, a direct effect of widowhood is substantial only for the negative dimension of the well-being of women. Widowed persons experience lower levels of well-being largely because they tend to be older, in poorer health, and less active in social life than their married counterparts. In the case of widowed women, low economic resources is also a key factor. A consistent pattern of greater reductions in levels of social participation in widowhood for men was not evident.