Psychological Dimensions That Explain Integrity in Older Adults: Examination of a Structural Model

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The aim of this research was to confirm whether internal coping strengths, depressive symptomatology and gratitude disposition are significant predictors of integrity in older adults.

Methods

Participated 394 Ecuadorian older adults with ages between 60 and 91 years old. Self-report were applied to assess the different variables under study. Specifically, integrity, coping, resilience, self-efficacy, mood and gratitude were assessed.

Results

A confirmatory model was estimated to predict ego-integrity. A personal adjustment factor composed of problem-focused coping strategies, resilience and self-efficacy, and gratitude showed positive and significant relationships with ego-integrity, whereas negative mood negatively predicted integrity.

Conclusions

Integrity is a key variable to strengthen a coherent view of one's life history and highly relevant during ageing. Having personal strengths and dispositions that facilitate adaptation to ageing and maintaining a positive mood predicts the attainment of integrity.

Clinical implications

Integrity is an adjustment factor that facilitates adaptation to the stressors of ageing and to major life changes and loss of control indifferent areas of life.

KEYWORDS:

• Integrity
• adjustment
• mood
• gratitude

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.