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

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.