ath was measured by 12 items from Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, and the type of residence (i.e. institution or apartment) was also factored in. These tests were administered to 51 adults ages 70-90 from a nursing home and an apartment complex.
The results supported the hypothesis that high ego integrity was related to lower fear of death. Subjects who scored high on the measures of ego integrity had less fear of death regardless of type of residence, whereas subjects with low ego integrity scores had a much greater fear of death when living in an institution than when living on their own (Goebel & Boeck, 1987). This suggests that ego integrity is, in fact, a powerful asset in coping with the ultimate stressor - death.
Goebel & Boeck (1987) theorized that people with high ego integrity have a stronger internal support system which helps them compensate for the reduced external supports in an institutional setting. Conversely, individuals with low ego integrity are more dependent on external support and tend not to cope as effectively when their surroundings do not provide them with feelings of personal control, hope, and worth. "It can be speculated that differences between independent and institutional environments in availability of effective psychological support sources and in the inescapable evidence of the imminence of death, may make resolution of the ego integrity versus despair crisis more salient for the psychological well-being of institutionalized older adults."(Goebel & Boeck, 1987, p.193).
The researchers therefore recommend programs to enhance older people's ego integrity and coping skills in institutions. These programs might include reminiscence and life review therapies, support groups, social activities, and activities designed to increase self-esteem (Goebel & Boeck, 1987).
The coping response style predominant in this study is essentially Type B, or emotion-focussed. Plainly, a Type A response sty...