Testing the Effectiveness of Bowen's Concept of Differentiation in Predicting Psychological Distress in Individuals Age 62 Years or Older

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between Bowen's concept of differentiation of self and psychological symptom status in individuals age 62 years and older. Specifically, this study examines through regression methods whether the self-reported differentiation dimensions of Emotional Reactivity, “I” Position, Emotional Cutoff, and Fusion with Others (FO) accurately predicted the level of psychological symptom status as measured by a brief symptom check-list. The major hypotheses of this study were found to be supportive of Bowen's theory of differentiation, even across the stages of later life (with the exception of the FO dimension). These findings have meaningful implications for the assessment and treatment of older individuals.

A Longitudinal Perspective on Differentiation of Self, Interpersonal and Psychological Well-Being in Young Adulthood

“…Greater differentiation of self is thought to lead to greater interpersonal competence, emotional maturity, and lower psychological distress because it enables one to better modulate the emotional arousal experienced during challenging interpersonal situations. In contrast, less differentiated individuals are less comfortable with intimacy and/or autonomy, thought to be less effective in relationships, experience more interpersonal problems, have greater difficulty regulating emotion (Bowen 1978;Kerr and Bowen 1988), and report greater psychological distress (e.g., Bartle-Haring and Probst 2004;Kim-Appel et al 2007;Murray, et al 2006;Skowron and Friedlander 1998;Skowron et al 2004). In emotionally charged interpersonal situations, less differentiated persons are thought to become more emotionally reactive and engage in emotional cutoff or fusion with others in response to stress (Nichols and Schwartz 2004).…”

The relationships between stressful life events during childhood and differentiation of self and intergenerational triangulation in adulthood

“…A number of studies have found differentiation of self to be associated with stress and anxiety. Negative correlations have been found with psychological stress, trait anxiety (Skowron & Friedlander, ), social anxiety (Peleg, ), separation anxiety (Peleg, Halaby, & Whaby, ; Peleg & Yitzhak, ), physiological symptoms (Kim‐Appel, Appel, Newman, & Parr, ; Skowron, ) and depression (Kim‐Appel et al, ).…”

Differentiation and Intimate Partner Violence

“…Among other findings they also found that one partners' differentiation of self and relationship satisfaction predicted the other partners' depression. Kim-Appel, Appel, Newman and Parr (2007) examined the relationship between differentiation of self and psychological symptom status among 227 participants age 62 years and older. They found that the lower the differentiation of self among participants, the higher were the scores for symptoms, which were defined as: somatization; interpersonal sensitivity; depression; anxiety; and hostility.…”