Live well and die with inner peace: The importance of retrospective need-based experiences, ego integrity and despair for late adults’ death attitudes

Kaap‐Deeder, Jolene van der; Soenens, Bart; Petegem, Stijn Van; Neyrinck, Bart; Pauw, Sarah De; Raemdonck, Eveline; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

doi:10.1016/j.archger.2020.104184

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…Recent research has begun to examine mechanisms that may underlie associations between ego-integrity, despair, and late adults’ mental health. On the basis of SDT, Van der Kaap-Deeder et al ( 2020 ) considered the role of individuals’ need-based experiences. Within SDT, it is postulated that the satisfaction of three innate psychological needs is essential for individuals’ thriving and well-being (Ryan and Deci 2017 ; Vansteenkiste et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conceptually, ego integrity is likely to foster experiences of need satisfaction and despair is likely to engender need frustration (Van der Kaap-Deeder et al 2020 ). That is, individuals who regard their lives as meaningful and have come to terms with difficult past events are more likely to experience feelings of volition, competence, and connectedness with important others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of ego integrity and despair in older adults’ well-being during the COVID-19 crisis: the mediating role of need-based experiences

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people across the world, with important heterogeneity among older adults in how they respond to the challenges associated with this crisis. Relying on a cross-fertilization between Erikson’s personality theory and self-determination theory, this study aimed to examine possible sources of resilience (i.e., ego integrity and need satisfaction) and vulnerability (i.e., despair) in older adults’ (mal) adjustment, thereby additionally considering the role of multiple risk and protective factors (e.g., gender and marital status). During the second month of the lockdown period in Belgium, 693 older adults (Mage = 70.06, SD = 4.48, range: 65–89 years, 62.1% female) filled out online questionnaires concerning the study variables, while also completing assessments of several important sociodemographic factors. Structural equation modeling suggested that both ego integrity and despair related to indicators of well-being and psychological distress through experienced need satisfaction. Additionally, we found several factors to protect (e.g., higher perceived income) or diminish (e.g., being widowed) older adults’ well-being during these challenging times, with little evidence for a moderating role of these factors in associations between the psychological variables. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of ego integrity and despair in older adults’ well-being during the COVID-19 crisis: the mediating role of need-based experiences

et al. 2021

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“…Older adults who achieve a high sense of coherence are able to make sense of and accept their life story. They are able to manage their life history and accept their past, achieving wholeness [ 35 ]. When people can give meaning of life and sense of coherence to their life, this allows and facilitates the resolution of problems in an adaptive way and above all in stressful situations [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a Reminiscence Program on Meaning of Life, Sense of Coherence and Coping in Older Women Living in Nursing Homes during COVID-19

2022

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Aging is a dynamic process that can bring well-being but also physical and cognitive decline. Older adults can draw on their personal resources to help them cope and thrive through the aging process. Having personal resources to cope and ensure older adults’ well-being is important. Psychological strengths such as a sense of coherence, resilience, and coping are protective against the adversity associated with health problems such as those stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study’s purpose was to investigate the usefulness of reminiscence therapy for older women living in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample composed of 29 older women was evaluated with the Purpose-in-Life Test (PIL), Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) and Brief Cope Inventory (COPE-28). Our reminiscence program consisted of 10 sessions lasting 60 min each. Reminiscence therapy is a psychological intervention for older adults to assist in remembering and interpreting the life events, feelings, and thoughts that define and give meaning to the person’s life. Reminiscence can lead to positive mental health and other elements of particular relevance to older adults. In each session, we worked on a different theme that promoted the memory of positive emotions: optimal experience, decisive moment, stresses, tensions, problems and solutions, memories of childhood, adolescence, maturity, significant people in life, sense of life, and future script. We compared an intervention group (n = 12) with a control group (n = 17) using a pre-post, single-blind design. Significant results were obtained and showed that reminiscence therapy was effective in increasing meaning of life, sense of coherence, and coping in older women. The reminiscence therapy applied yielded positive effects in older female participants living in a nursing home during COVID-19 pandemic.

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“…Recent research has begun to examine mechanisms that may underlie associations between ego-integrity, despair, and late adults' mental health. On the basis of SDT Van der Kaap-Deeder et al (2020) considered the role of individuals' need-based experiences. Within SDT, it is postulated that the satisfaction of three innate psychological needs is essential for individuals' thriving and well-being (Ryan & Deci 2017;Vansteenkiste et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Explanatory Role Of Need-based Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conceptually, ego integrity is likely to foster experiences of need satisfaction and despair is likely to engender need frustration (Van der Kaap-Deeder et al, 2020). That is, individuals who regard their lives as meaningful and have come to terms with di cult past events, are more likely to experience feelings of volition, competence, and connectedness with important others.…”

Section: The Explanatory Role Of Need-based Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Ego Integrity and Despair in Older Adults’ Well-being during the Covid-19 Crisis: The Mediating Role of Need-based Experiences

Kaap‐Deeder

Vermote

Waterschoot

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The Covid-19 pandemic has affected people across the world, with older adults being particularly at risk for the negative (side) effects associated with this crisis. Relying on a cross-fertilization between Erikson’s personality theory and Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to examine possible sources of resilience (i.e., ego integrity and need satisfaction) and vulnerability (i.e., despair and need frustration) in older adults’ (mal)adjustment, thereby additionally considering the role of multiple risk and protective factors (e.g., gender and marital status). During the second month of the lockdown period in Belgium, 693 older adults (Mage = 70.06, SD = 4.48, range: 65 – 89 years, 62.1% female) filled out online questionnaires concerning the study variables, while also completing assessments of several important sociodemographic factors. Structural equation modeling showed that both ego integrity and despair related to indicators of well-being and ill-being through experienced need satisfaction and need frustration. Additionally, we found several factors to protect (e.g., higher perceived income) or diminish (e.g., being widowed) older adults’ well-being during these challenging times, with little evidence for a moderating role of these factors in associations between the psychological variables. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

show abstract

Live well and die with inner peace: The importance of retrospective need-based experiences, ego integrity and despair for late adults’ death attitudes

Cited by 13 publications

References 39 publications

The role of ego integrity and despair in older adults’ well-being during the COVID-19 crisis: the mediating role of need-based experiences

The role of ego integrity and despair in older adults’ well-being during the COVID-19 crisis: the mediating role of need-based experiences

Effects of a Reminiscence Program on Meaning of Life, Sense of Coherence and Coping in Older Women Living in Nursing Homes during COVID-19

The Role of Ego Integrity and Despair in Older Adults’ Well-being during the Covid-19 Crisis: The Mediating Role of Need-based Experiences

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