What are the causes of the despair in the women in The Road to Mecca?

In addition to still mourning the death of her husband, Helen is despairing over the fact that she may have to move out of the house she's lived in for so many years and move into a church-run facility for the elderly. Helen is one of life's free spirits, and despite her age and growing infirmity, she still retains a fierce streak of independence. The last thing she wants is to sacrifice her independence by moving into a care home, especially one run by a church whose values she doesn't share.
As for Elsa, she's in despair over her recent abortion. She was pregnant with her married lover's child and thought perhaps that they might start a family together. But he chose to go back to his estranged wife instead. This proved to be a deeply traumatic experience for Elsa, who has been dealing with the emotional fallout ever since.