Human Development Throughout the Life Cycle

Fatima AlhaidarProfessor & Consultant Child,

Adolescent PsychiatristCollege of Medicine, KSU

B. Adulthood (AH)

• AH is longest phase of human life.• AH is divided into 3 main parts: young or early

AH ( 20-40), middle AH (40-65), & late AH or old age ( > 65).

• Most adults adapt to similar circumstances: establishing independent identity, forming a marriage, raising children, building\maintaining careers, and accepting the disability\ death of one’s parents.

Early AH

• 20-40• Characteristics:• Peaking biological development• Assumption of major social roles • Evolution of adult self & life structure

Important events.

• Graduation from high school• Starting a job or entering college• Living independently• During 20s, exploring options for occupation &

marriage and making commitments• At age of 30, question choices ‼• During 30s, reaffirm commitments → smooth

transition, or experience major crisis → marital problems, job changes and psychiatric problems.

Developmental tasks.

• To develop a young-adult sense of self & others• ≈ ≈ adult friendships• ≈ ≈ the capacity of intimacy ( spouse)• ≈ become biological & psychological parent • ≈ develop a relationship of mutuality &

equality with parents• ≈ establish an adult work identity• ≈ develop adult forms of play• ≈ integrate new attitudes towards time

Psychological process.

• According to Erik Erikson, the specific phase that applies to young adulthood is the development of intimacy vs. isolation. It is the time for intimate relationship and commitment to others.

Occupation.

• Healthy adaptation to work provides outlet for creativity, satisfactory relationships with colleagues, pride in accomplishment and increased self-esteem.

• The incidence of alcohol dependence, homicide, violence and mental illness rises with unemployment.

Marriage.

• Most persons in the US marry for the first time in their mid-to late 20s.

• Age of first marriage has increased• Number of persons who never marry has

increased• Marriage rate has declined• Divorce rate has declined• Still, marriage ended in divorce has increased.

Parenthood.

• Men are concerned with their work and occupational advancement. Women are concerned with child rearing.

• Single-parent families.

Middle AH

• 40-65• 40 is the moon of life• Experience the gap between early

aspiration and current achievements:• Reviewing the past• How life has gone• What the future will be like.• During 40s, important gender changes occur: ♀

more masculine activities • more emotional expression: ♂

Developmental tasks.

• Aging• Stock taking• Reassessing commitments to family, work,

marriage• Dealing with parental illness and death• Generativity vs stagnation.• Stability in parental home predicted a well-

adjusted adulthood

Sexuality.

• Sexual activity may decline but enjoyment continue.

• Mostly due to psychological factors: stress, anxiety, fatigue, alcohol and drugs, difficulty to deal with body image.

Climacterium.

• A period of decreased biological and physiological functioning.• ♀ - menopause - 40-50s - ( depression and anxiety )• ♂ - midlife crisis – 50s - ( drastic change in work or marital life,

depression, alcohol).• Midlife crisis: a term used to describe a wide range of emotional

struggles leading to serious maladaptive behavior.• Those who tend to have it tend to come from families with parental

discord, anxious or impulsive parents with low sense of responsibility.

• During that period , some persons feel a sense of urgency to do or accomplish al they can before time runs out; remarry, abandon careers to pursue interests of the moment.

• However, for most people, they face the prospect that some of life’s goals will be left unaccomplished. It is the period of growing appreciation for what one does have and a gradual letting go of what might have been.

Late AH ( Old Age )

• ≥ 65:• Young old 65-74• Old-old 75-84• Oldest-old ≥ 85

Biology of aging.

• Most of older persons retain their cognitive abilities to remarkable degree.

• Aging means the aging of cells. Each cell has genetically determined life span during which it can replicate itself a limited number of times before it dies.

Longevity.

• Predictors of longevity include: heredity, regular medical checkups, minimal caffeine , no alcohol consumption, work gratification, perceived sense of being socially useful, healthy eating & exercise.

Personality of life span

Stability in five basic traits: extraversion ( slightly ↓), neuroticism, agreeableness ( slightly ↑ ), openness to experience, conscientiousness.

Social activity.

• Older persons usually maintain social life.

• Physical illness, death of friends & relatives may preclude continued social interaction.

• Social interaction and care for younger persons maintain sense of usefulness and self-esteem.

Emotional health.

• Having been close to siblings during college correlate with emotional well-being.

• Parental death or divorce did not correlate with poor adaptation

• Being depressed between 20-50 predicted emotional problems

• Personality traits of pragmatism & dependability were associated with sense of well-being.

Retirement.

• For many old person, retirement is a time for leisure and freedom from resposibilities and work commitments

• For some, it is a time for distress ( economic problems, loss of self-esteem, feeling of being unproductive & loneliness.

Psychiatric problems of older persons.• Major depressive disorder and dysthymia are

less than in younger age group.• Depression is associated with physical

symptoms and cognitive impairment (pseudo dementia).

• Suicide is high ( ♀ with mental illness, ♂ with physical illness)

• Good mental health & physical health are related.