Ego Integrity in the Lives of Older Women

Ego integrity, Erik Erikson’s (1963) concept of psychological maturity in later life and the pinnacle of eight stages, has been one of the least studied of all his stage constructs. This paper explores the meaning of ego integrity (as assessed by Ryff and Heincke, 1983) in the lives of a sample of older women by examining its predictors and concomitants, using data from interviews conducted with the same women in 1951 and 1996 and a questionnaire administered/in 1996. A 3-stop regression model revealed that “Identity” assessed in 1951 predicted generativity in 1996; the level of educational attainment and marital status were also significant predictors. In step 2, generativity alone predicted ego integrity, which in turn predicted depression. Ego integrity was associated with higher marital satisfaction in the mothers’ lives, both in the past and in the present; it was implicated in better relationships with their adult children, in the mothers’ willingness to both give and receive help, and in several dimensions of psychological well-being.