Despair Decreases With Age According To Study

The passage of time leaves a deep mark on all of us. Getting older seems to make many people sad, but a study that studied the four dimensions of personality shows that despair actually decreases with age in many cases.

The four dimensions of personality that the researchers focused on were productivity, stagnation, ego integration and despair.

These come from Erik Erikson’s personality theory and refer to the extreme ends of two of the eight psychosocial stages he proposed. These two psychosocial states correspond to the last phases of life.

A series of conflicts that you have to confront for your own personal development characterizes each stage of life. Between the ages of 40 and 60, the conflict between stagnation and productivity occurs.

Ego integration and despair in turn correspond to the ages of 60 and up.

In this article, we will take a look at the features of each personality dimension. We will also look at the conclusions led by a fascinating study led by psychologists Nicky J. Newton and Elisabeth A. Vanderwater.

Productivity and stagnation

Productivity is the personal dimension that is linked to the level of active participation in building a healthy future. This dimension develops understanding and consideration for others.

It is what allows you to look beyond the surface to see the heart of the problem and give advice from the wisdom you have accumulated over time.

Stagnation, on the other hand, refers to a lack of personal growth or development of these productive abilities. It is characterized by low tolerance for frustration and uncertainty.

If you are stagnant, you are not good at dealing with problems that require a more complex form of analysis.

Ego integration and despair

Ego integration is the ability to recover from difficult situations. In other words, it refers to resilience. Ego integration is characterized by feelings of satisfaction with life.

Despair, on the other hand, relates to a lack of ego integration and is associated with feelings of despair and that life has no meaning.

Despair makes you hostile to others and to situations you do not understand.

The study

166 women between the ages of 43 and 72 participated in the study, which had four phases over the course of 28 years (1986-2014). During this period, the researchers followed the four personality dimensions we mentioned above.

The data showed a consistent increase in productivity and ego integration between the ages of 43-70. Stagnant, on the other hand, reached its highest point around 60, after which it began to fall.

In conclusion, despair was something that diminished over the years, but also the aspect that reached its peak first. The highest levels appeared around 50 but then dropped drastically between the ages of 60 and 70.

Feelings of despair

As I said, the research showed that despair decreases with age, while positive emotions increase in strength. During the participants’ last stages in life  , despair disappeared as a result of increased ego integration.

The downtime also fell significantly while productivity and integrity remained constant or increased over time.

The researchers believe that this reduction in stagnation is also linked to a new sense of personal development generated by ego integration.

In other words, these results are very hopeful. It seems that good conflict resolution in the later stages of life can generate significant reductions in the level of despair and significantly increase the positive dimensions.

This is why it can be smart to tackle middle age with enthusiasm and an open mind. If this research proves to be true, you can become more active and resilient as the years go by.