Identity Distress, Psychosocial Maturity, and Adaptive Functioning Among University Students

Identity Distress and Negative Affect in College Students

“…The results highlight that identity problem is prevalent among college students and can occur simultaneously with other symptoms of negative affect. In this study, 8.1% of students had identity problem, whereas other studies report even higher rates (Gfellner & Córdoba, 2011). These rates, along with the growing body of literature on identity distress, suggest a need for prevention programming and=or other structured experiences to facilitate the identity development process.…”

“…In the DSM-IV, identity disorder was removed and replaced with a classification of identity problem. Studies have shown that rates of identity problem among college students have been as high as 18.8% (Gfellner & Córdoba, 2011). The most recent DSM-V has removed both of these categorizations.…”

Adolescent Identity Development and Distress in a Clinical Sample

“…Wängqvist and Frisén (2011) found that identity distress mediated the relationship between identity status and psychological symptoms among emerging adults between the ages of 24 and 26. Associations between identity problems and psychosocial functioning were also found by Gfellner and Córdoba (2011) in samples of university students. Psychopathology may be related to the distress evoked from struggling to resolve the challenges of identity formation, which may disrupt normal development.…”

Future-oriented or present-focused? The role of social support and identity styles on ‘futuring’ in Italian late adolescents and emerging adults

“…Several studies have emphasized that the perception of support received from significant others influences the ways in which individuals gather information about identity (Bosch, Segrin, and Curran 2012). Research has shown that young adults who experience difficulties dealing with Journal of Youth Studies 5 identity issues perceive less social support from friends and family (Gfellner and Córdoba 2011). Specifically, individuals with diffuse-avoidant identity styles were more likely to avoid hanging out with friends or in peer group settings and reported lower expectations for success in social situations than any other identity style group.…”