Identity development & psychopathology Flashcards
wat zijn de transitionele levensfasen
adolescence and young adulthood, 12-30
- many changes take place: physical maturation, cognitive maturation, social changes, societal demands, expectations increase….
- making a transition from childhood to adulthood
- shifting from dependence to independence
wanneer identity development
this is a lifelong process, changing life circumstances means you need to adapt something
4 types of identity functioning
- identity synthesis/consolidation
- identity confusion
- identity disturbance
- lack of identity
identity synthesis/consolidation
most adaptive, we feel unique and integrated. we have a sense of continuity, feel like we are the same person through time, coherence between all the different identities (cultural, individual, etc).
identity confusion
usually a small period.
sense of a lack of continuance, coherence, not a persistent self.
-> depression, anxiety, confusion
identity disturbance
long lasting, still not knowing what you are or what you want in life. lastig om keuzes te maken, omdat je niet goed weet wat bij jou past.
-> borderline patients usually experience this
lack of identity
geen gevoel dat je uniek bent, feeling fragmented, broken, empty inside.
the 4 types of identity functioning depend on their sense of….
- distinctiveness: having a sense of being unique and disting from others (i am me)
- continuity: having a sense of being the same person over time (i am still me)
- coherence: having a sense of being the same person across life domains (i am a whole)
wat mist er dus bij lack of identity
distinctiveness
waarom is het lastig om te differentieren tussen typisch en atypische identiteitsontwikkeling
- lastig bepalen of het een continuum is of echt verschillende dimensies
- periodes van identity confusion are normal and adaptive
- when should confusion give way to consolidation?
which factors are considered to impact identity development?
- early life experiences (attachment, childhood trauma…)
- internal factors (personality traits, ethnicity, curiosity…)
- external factors (media, peers….)
patroon van identity synthesis over time
- first: decrease
- then: increase
- later: decrease
correspondeert met starten met school en daarna starten op de arbeidsmarkt/uni -> dit is dus adaptief!
percentages voor identity confusion:
- adaptive
- diffused
- progression
- regression
- adaptive: 70%
- diffused: 12%
- progression: 8%
- regression: 10%
two processes in the development of a sense of identity
- exploration: exploration in breadth, exploration in depth, ruminative exploration
- commitment: commitment making, identification with commitment
exploration in adolescence vs late twenties
in late twenties more rumination due to social pressure
commitment in adolescence vs late twenties
commitment processes increase more linearily
identity formation assessment via surveys nadelen
- Self-report and other informants (e.g., parents or partner) bias
- Operationalize identity as a global construct (dit is niet handig: mensen kunnen verschillen op verschillende domeinen (wel weten wat voor vriend je bent, niet wat voor carriere je wil))
- Fail to distinguish normative and pathological identity formation
- Fail to provide a contextualized, comprehensive understanding of identity formation
if you could see identity, it would be a story
ok
voorbeeld identiteitsurvey
Self-Concept and Identity Measure (SCIM)
- consolidated identity
- disturbed identity
- lack of identity
identity formation assessment via stories
- Written or told stories about personally significant events that are, at their core, about identity (narrative identity)
- The stories we tell about ourselves reveal, construct, and sustain ourselves over time
- Stories are based on facts and interpretations, and provide insight into what experience mean to individuals
- but: a lot of different ways in which these stories can be quantified (not clear)
focus of quantifying stories today
- Affective themes
- Motivational themes (agency, communion)
- Structural aspects of the story
- Autobiographical reasoning within the story (e.g., making connections between the event and identity)
motivational themes =
agency
communion
research: correlations among themes
small to moderate correlations between:
agency
communion
exploratory processing
why is identity crucial for wellbeing?
- identity is like an inner compass, providing a sense of coherence, continuity and unity. it provides a sense of direction and meaning in life. it facilitates decision making, allowing you to navigate life tasks and social roles.
- identity contributes to self-esteem, self-worth, and life satisfaction
- identity allows us to participate fully in society, helps us get a sense of belonging
research: higher levels of 1) identity synthesis/consolidation and 2) agency, communion, coherence and autobiographical reasoning are related to:
- higher levels of life satisfaction, life purpose and self esteem
- lower levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms
identity is linked to different psychiatric disorders, such as….
- personality disorders
- eating disorders
- non suicidal self injury
DSM-5 includes two models for diagnosing personality disorders:
- Section II: categorical model for PDs
- Lists diagnostic criteria for ten different PDs
- Identity disturbance is a core symptom of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Section III: Alternative Model for PDs (AMPD)
- Proposes that all PDs are characterized by identity disturbance
how does the AMPD refer to identity disturbances
AMPD: identity disturbance refers to a host of identity-related difficulties (e.g., problems with self-other distinction, having an unstable and incoherent sense of identity, lacking life goals,…)
research linking identity development and personality disorders in adolescents and young adults:
- Survey data:
- Identity disturbance and lack of identity are related to all PDs
- Identity disturbance distinguishes adolescents with and without BPD
- Narrative data:
- Thwarted themes of agency and communion are related to BPD and ASPD (symptoms)
- Low levels of narrative coherence are related to BPD and ASPD (symptoms)
which identity class report stable and high levels of BPD features
adolescents in the diffused identity class
how does identity disturbance feel?
- “It’s terribly confusing, not being able to navigate who I am, what I really truly think
and feel, and what my view is on things.” - “It is really difficult for me to answer the question about who I am, because I feel it
is so dependent on the mood I’m in and on the situation and the people around me.” - “I need others… in order to feel that I exist, because if I was all alone, I would just be
nothing.” - “It’s very confusing not to have this unifying thread or principle in your life, like who
am I, and what do I want. It makes it very difficult to make plans.”
development of BPD: biology, environment and outcome
- biology:
- temperament: high emotional reactivity and low negative affect tolerance
- personality: high impulsivity, high obsessive-compulsive, high perfectionism - environment:
- system: attachment ruptures, with low support and connection, high control and criticism
- trauma: emotional/physical/sexual/childhood neglect/abuse - outcome: emotional dysregulation and mentalizing problems
- affective instability, interpersonal instability, impulsivity, chronic feelings of inner emptiness, unstable and fragmented sense of identity
body-related disorders =
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, non-suicidal self-injury
dus welke twee groepen stoornissen zijn gelinkt aan identiteitsverstoringen
- persoonlijkheidsstoornissen
- body-related disorders (eating disorders, NSSI)
twee aspecten van identiteit die verstoord zijn in body-related disordoers
- Higher levels of identity confusion, ruminative exploration
- Lower levels of identity synthesis, commitment processes
identity confusion and NSSI research
Higher levels of identity confusion significantly increased the likelihood of transitioning from no NSSI to subthreshold NSSI
mechanisms underlying the link between identity and body-related disorders
the body-related disorders may act as ways to try to regulate the emotions and regain a sense of control. however, this only reinforces the negative affect and cognitions
kijken naar schema van ID en body-related disorders
oke
identity disturbance en anorexia
identity disturbance -> search for source of self-definition -> body as a source of self-definition -> anorexia nervosa -> body as central part of identity -> gaining weight is a threat to identity -> identity disturbance…
take home messages
- Identity formation is a key developmental task of adolescence and young adulthood
- Identity is shaped by internal and external factors, and constructed through exploration and commitment processes
- Identity synthesis/consolidation is crucial to function adaptively in life and experience a sense of well-being
- Identity disturbance is a transdiagnostic risk factor as it relates to all personality disorders, eating disorders, and NSSI
- The relationship between identity disturbance and psychopathology seems to be bi-directional, but we need more research
- Underlying mechanisms may include emotion regulation, having an alternative source for self-definition
