Self-Transcendence and Mental Health in Oldest-Old Adults

Patterns of self-transcendence that older adults report as being important to their emotional well-being are described in this study, and the relationship between self-transcendence and mental health symptomatology in oldest-old adults is investigated. The sample consisted of 55 independent-living older adults, 80 to 97 years old. Methodological trianglulation was used whereby qualitative data together with quantitative findings were examined. Four patterns of self-transcendence, congruent with the investigator's definition, were identified by the participants as being important to their sense of well-being: Generativity, Introjectivity, Temporal Integration, and Body-Transcendence. Results of Pearson correlation analysis and matrix analysis of data supported a relationship between self-transcendence and mental health found in previous research, thus demonstrating the importance of the expansion of self boundaries in older adults.