The relative strength of the later-life personality process of ego-integrity, as operationalized by “accepting the past,” was tested as a predictor of depression in a multivariate model containing other well established predictors—age, social support, physical dependency, and positive and negative affectivity. Seventy-three older Australian women living in supported accommodation completed an anonymous, self-report questionnaire. The results showed that “accepting the past” was a significant predictor in the multivariate model, along with social support, physical dependency, and positive affectivity. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of investigating later-life personality processes as potential interventions for alleviating depression in older people.
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