A Salutogenic Analysis of Developmental Tasks and Ego Integrity vs. Despair

This study examines the hypothesis that the outcome of the Eriksonian crisis of integrity vs. despair is dependent on successful coping with four developmental tasks: maintenance of active involvement, reevaluation of life satisfaction, developing a sense of health maintenance, and reevaluation of the sense of coherence (SOC). A selective sample of 170 rather healthy individuals at the mean age of 67 years filled out a questionnaire assessing everyday activities, satisfaction with past, present, and future life, healthy habits, SOC, and depression. In our final path-analytical model, the SOC had a significant direct effect on all endogenous variables; it also attenuated depression indirectly via activity and via satisfaction with present and future life. Satisfaction with present life showed the strongest mitigating direct effect on depression. The SOC is an important antecedent for successfully resolving the integrity vs. despair crisis, in that a strong SOC is a guiding force behind mastering the other three tasks.