Ego-integrity versus ego-despair: The effect of "accepting the past" on depression in older women

The relative strength of the later-life personality process of ego-integrity, as operationalized by "accepting the past," was tested as a predictor of depression in a multivariate model containing other well established predictors - age, social support, physical dependency, and positive and negative affectivity. Seventy-three older Australian women living in supported accommodation completed an anonymous, self-report questionnaire. The results showed that "accepting the past" was a significant predictor in the multivariate model, along with social support, physical dependency, and positive affectivity. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of investigating later-life personality processes as potential interventions for alleviating depression in older people.