Older adults aged 80 to 97 reported four patterns of self-transcendence important to their emotional well-being: Generativity, Introjectivity, Temporal Integration, and Body-Transcendence. A relationship between self-transcendence and mental health, consistent with prior research, was supported by correlation and matrix analyses, indicating that expanding self boundaries is important for emotional well-being in the oldest-old.
Self-transcendence perspectives are present in a healthy middle-aged population at levels similar to those previously observed in elderly well persons and those with life-threatening illness. In a sample of 152 people averaging 46 years old, self-transcendence showed moderate correlations with female gender, older age, and higher self-reported health status. Strong correlations emerged between self-transcendence and sense of coherence, self-esteem, hope, and measures of emotional well-being.