Lane and Munday 2017

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Ego Integrity Versus Despair

Chapter · January 2017


DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_582-1

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Thiera Lane Cheryl Casselberry Munday


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Ego Integrity Versus Despair preparation for the next psychosocial stage of
development.
Thiera D. Lane and Cheryl Munday In each stage, there are developmental tasks
University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI, USA characterized by conflicts that exist that correlate
with the success or failure in mastery within the
given stage. In each of the stages, there exists a
Synonyms spectrum that represents the characteristics of
either failure or mastery. In relation to ego integ-
Eighth stage of psychosocial development rity versus despair, the object is mastery gained
from learning and utilizing wisdom gathered from
previous stages. Failure to master the eighth stage
would result in a failure to acquire the ego skill of
Definition Wisdom. Erikson (1963 and 1998) purposed that
failure in mastery during this stage would result in
Ego integrity versus despair is the eighth stage of the opposite of wisdom and manifest itself as
Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development disdain.
during which the aging individual strives to accept
the value of her life experience.
Wisdom

Introduction Wisdom is the ego strength that results from expe-


rience and resolution of the dilemma of ego integ-
Ego integrity versus despair is the eighth stage of rity versus despair. Erikson acknowledged that
Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development. this stage is associated with aging and
Throughout the lifespan, the individual is faced approaching death, which does not correlate with
with developmental tasks characterized by oppos- an individual’s chronological age. Mastery of ego
ing personality features that must be mastered integrity is denoted by an individual’s acceptance
before successfully moving on to the next stage. of his or her life and achievements. In moving
The stages are experienced in a social context and through the process of mastering ego integrity
represent a developmental sequence. During each versus despair, there must be the acceptance and
stage, the aim of each developmental task is to disdain of life experiences. Therefore, those who
develop an ego skill that will better prepare the attain wisdom will inevitably experience both
individual and build upon previous skills, in integrity and despair as altering states that need
# Springer International Publishing AG 2017
V. Zeigler-Hill, T.K. Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_582-1
2 Ego Integrity Versus Despair

to be balanced (Westerhof et al. 2015). This bal- fundamental beliefs in the ninth stage. This often
ance is necessary during this stage as it supports occurs as an effort to understand the challenges
the gaining of wisdom and acceptance needed for during this phase in the life cycle. In relation to the
mastery. The resulting balance involves acknowl- eighth stage of psychosocial development, integ-
edging despair and its role in the individual’s rity versus despair becomes despair versus integ-
experience of self. The individual’s task is ulti- rity during the ninth stage of development.
mately accepting the choices made during the past Despair in the ninth stage is in response to current
and becoming more satisfied with one’s self, experiences, for example, the loss of many impor-
hence shifting from despair to integrity. Individ- tant capabilities. This contrasts with the experi-
uals who are satisfied with their life are not afraid ence of retrospective despair that is associated
to face death. This acceptance is representative of with the eighth stage. Ninth stage losses include
the mastery of developmental conflict and effec- the death of significant others, loss of indepen-
tive use of the skills learned in previous stages of dence, and perceived loss of purpose due to a lack
psychosocial development. of social involvement (Erikson and Erikson
1998). The ninth stage challenges the individual
with the previously stated losses and may poten-
Despair tially impact self-image. Erikson and Erikson
(1998) noted that this stage is an opportunity to
According to Erikson, despair results from dissat- experience growth from the conflicts by working
isfaction with one’s life as one considers aging through despair.
and approached death. The fear of death is an
unconscious phenomenon that is ultimately a
result of not being able to “start over” at this Ego Integrity Versus Despair in Clinical
stage in life. Individuals feel as though they have Practice
“run out of time” and are anxious to complete the
milestones of previous stages of development. The concept of ego integrity versus despair may
The anxiety reflects both the fear of dying and be helpful in understanding the individual in a
the fear of not achieving life’s goals. The failure to clinical setting. In a study by Westerhof,
achieve a sense of integrity is a reflection of stag- Bohlmeijer, and McAdams (2015), Erikson’s the-
nation or failure to fully master ego skills associ- ory of psychosocial development at the ego integ-
ated with previous psychosocial stages of rity versus despair stage was explored by
development (Erikson 1963). assessing individual status within this psychoso-
cial stage. Integrity and despair were found to
relate to personality traits and various characteris-
The Ninth Stage tics indicative of mental health. Understanding
how the individual resolves this stage of develop-
Erikson later proposed a ninth stage of develop- ment was found to be more useful in a therapeutic
ment in response to criticism of the eight stage setting than previously thought (Westerhof
model. The average life span in developed coun- et al. 2015).
tries now extends past the age of 65, resulting in Westerhof et al. (2015) found that neuroticism
an extension of later stages of psychosocial devel- is significantly related to despair and to depressive
opment. For adults approaching their late eighties symptoms. Extraversion and higher levels of
and nineties, Erikson and Erikson (1998) devel- openness were found to be indirectly related to
oped the ninth stage. This stage addressed the integrity when well-being served as a mediator.
change within the ego that occurs after trans- Well-being was defined as having a positive out-
itioning through ego integrity versus despair. look on life and possessing positive emotions. It
Older adults in their late eighties and nineties should be noted that the presence of well-being is
first experience inconsistencies with his or her not always the absence of mental health issues
Ego Integrity Versus Despair 3

(Westerhof et al. 2015). In utilizing the psychoso- vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, etc.) are expe-
cial stages of development as a framework for rienced again; however, this time, the individual
clinical evaluation, the clinician is able to provide has the opportunity to fine-tune his or her skills in
more quality interventions essential to advancing an effort to improve personal experience and to
and resolving the stages of development. Marcia move towards ego integrity. In response to
and Josselson (2013) proposed the use of increases in average life span in developed coun-
Erikson’s stages as a means of understanding nor- tries, Erikson developed the ninth stage as a sup-
mative crisis within the context of the individual’s plement to the original psychosocial stages of
unique psychosocial world. Knowledge of the development. Erikson and Erikson (1998) under-
changes encountered during this stage provides a stood that psychosocial development presented
platform for clinicians to understand their clients itself differently during late, older adulthood.
as well as provides a foundation for more effective Studies have shown that the clinical utility of
interventions for clients who are currently in the ego integrity versus despair may contribute to a
ego integrity versus despair developmental stage higher quality of care for the elderly receiving
(Marcia and Josselson, 2013). mental health treatment. The framework of ego
Achieving and maintaining ego integrity is the integrity versus despair has utility as a means of
primary goal during this stage of development as understanding normative development as well as
it promotes both physical and mental well-being. psychopathology in an effort to provide better
To assist in the promotion of ego integrity, remi- quality of mental health services.
niscence therapy has been deemed a beneficial
intervention to improve life quality and to con-
serve mental health. Interventions such as group
References
socialization and group activities serve as a means
of reminiscence therapy and support the idea of Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society. New York:
ego promotion (Jo and Song 2015). The presence W.W. Norton & Company, Inc..
of family members also serves as an intervention Erikson, E. H., Erikson, J., & Kivnick, H. (1989). Vital
strategy that promotes ego integrity. The ability to involvement in old age. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, Inc..
reconnect through socialization and activities Erikson, E. H., & Erikson, J. M. (1998). The life cycle
when one may be stagnant provides an opportu- completed (extended version). New York:
nity to resolve some of the tasks that were not W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
completed in previous stages and assists in pro- Jo, H., & Song, E. (2015). The effect of reminiscence
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viding balance between the integrity versus social behavior function, and activities of daily living
despair dichotomy. in elderly patients with mild dementia. Educational
Gerontology, 41(1), 1–13.
Marcia, J., & Josselson, R. (2013). Eriksonian personality
research and its implications for psychotherapy. Jour-
Conclusion nal of Personality, 81(6), 617–629.
Westerhof, G. J., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & McAdams, D. P.
Integrity versus despair is Erikson’s eighth stage (2015). The relation of ego integrity and despair to
of development and offers the individual an personality traits and mental health. The Journals of
Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and
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During the eighth stage, many of the stages (trust

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