Bereavement, multimorbidity and mortality: a population-based study using bereavement as an indicator of mental stress

Background Mental stress is associated with higher mortality, but it remains controversial whether the association is causal or a consequence of a higher physical disease burden in those with a high mental stress load. Understanding causality is important when developing targeted interventions. We aimed to estimate the effect of mental stress on mortality by performing a ‘natural’ experiment using spousal bereavement as a disease-independent...