[Personality development in the elderly--a psychoanalytic paradigm of development]

Traditional concepts within psychoanalytically oriented developmental psychology end with adulthood. The life cycle theories of Erikson as well as Colarusso & Nemiroff cannot, in their current form, explain the processes of conflict interaction in adulthood that are responsible for continued development. Currently existing aging-specific psychoanalytic and cognitive-motivational oriented theories do not provide solutions to this question. Based on the first qualitative results from 2-4-hour semi-structured, biographical interviews with older adults, a simplified model of development throughout the life-course based on the following three basic organizing principles (in accordance with Spitz) is presented 1) psychological processes until adulthood; 2) social relationships during adulthood; 3) somatic processes in late life. Further empirical investigation of this model will be carried out within the context of the Eldermen-study now in progress. First results indicate a variety of clinically relevant developmental conflicts in late life. A deeper understanding of these conflicts will provide the basis for more extensive and appropriate therapeutic interventions.