The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach
Abstract Background Childhood adversity is known to predispose to a wide array of psychopathology in adolescence and early adulthood. Identity development, being a crucial developmental task during adolescence, has been suggested to affect this association. Nonetheless, research on the role of ident...
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06649-y |
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| author | Celine Samaey Stijn Lambrechts Aleksandra Lecei Robin Achterhof Noëmi Hagemann Karlijn S. F. M. Hermans Anu P. Hiekkaranta Olivia J. Kirtley Ulrich Reininghaus Bart Boets Inez Myin-Germeys Ruud van Winkel |
| author_facet | Celine Samaey Stijn Lambrechts Aleksandra Lecei Robin Achterhof Noëmi Hagemann Karlijn S. F. M. Hermans Anu P. Hiekkaranta Olivia J. Kirtley Ulrich Reininghaus Bart Boets Inez Myin-Germeys Ruud van Winkel |
| author_sort | Celine Samaey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Childhood adversity is known to predispose to a wide array of psychopathology in adolescence and early adulthood. Identity development, being a crucial developmental task during adolescence, has been suggested to affect this association. Nonetheless, research on the role of identity processes is scarce. The current study aims to investigate how identity processes of exploration and commitment may impact the association between childhood adversity and psychopathology. Methods We cross-sectionally investigated the association between childhood adversity, identity processes (i.e., exploration in breadth and depth, commitment making, identification with commitment and ruminative exploration) and depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in 869 Flemish adolescents between 14 and 20 years old (mean = 15.52, SD = 1.28). Results Childhood adversity was associated with increased ruminative exploration, which itself was associated with increased psychopathology. On the other hand, commitment making, identification with commitment and exploration in breadth were associated with decreased psychopathology. Processes of exploration in breadth and commitment making attenuated the association between childhood adversity and psychopathology. Moreover, identification with commitment and ruminative exploration potentially mediated this association. Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of healthy identity processes in adolescents, with and without exposure to childhood adversity. Measures of identity structure and identity processes should be combined to fully capture identity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-754e6b88faac4399950b01f4ae84bdf2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-754e6b88faac4399950b01f4ae84bdf22025-08-20T01:57:51ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-03-012511910.1186/s12888-025-06649-yThe role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approachCeline Samaey0Stijn Lambrechts1Aleksandra Lecei2Robin Achterhof3Noëmi Hagemann4Karlijn S. F. M. Hermans5Anu P. Hiekkaranta6Olivia J. Kirtley7Ulrich Reininghaus8Bart Boets9Inez Myin-Germeys10Ruud van Winkel11Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Public Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg UniversityDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, KU LeuvenDepartment of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU LeuvenAbstract Background Childhood adversity is known to predispose to a wide array of psychopathology in adolescence and early adulthood. Identity development, being a crucial developmental task during adolescence, has been suggested to affect this association. Nonetheless, research on the role of identity processes is scarce. The current study aims to investigate how identity processes of exploration and commitment may impact the association between childhood adversity and psychopathology. Methods We cross-sectionally investigated the association between childhood adversity, identity processes (i.e., exploration in breadth and depth, commitment making, identification with commitment and ruminative exploration) and depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in 869 Flemish adolescents between 14 and 20 years old (mean = 15.52, SD = 1.28). Results Childhood adversity was associated with increased ruminative exploration, which itself was associated with increased psychopathology. On the other hand, commitment making, identification with commitment and exploration in breadth were associated with decreased psychopathology. Processes of exploration in breadth and commitment making attenuated the association between childhood adversity and psychopathology. Moreover, identification with commitment and ruminative exploration potentially mediated this association. Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of healthy identity processes in adolescents, with and without exposure to childhood adversity. Measures of identity structure and identity processes should be combined to fully capture identity.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06649-yChildhood adversityIdentity processesAdolescence |
| spellingShingle | Celine Samaey Stijn Lambrechts Aleksandra Lecei Robin Achterhof Noëmi Hagemann Karlijn S. F. M. Hermans Anu P. Hiekkaranta Olivia J. Kirtley Ulrich Reininghaus Bart Boets Inez Myin-Germeys Ruud van Winkel The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach BMC Psychiatry Childhood adversity Identity processes Adolescence |
| title | The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach |
| title_full | The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach |
| title_fullStr | The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach |
| title_short | The role of identity in the development of depressive, anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a process-oriented approach |
| title_sort | role of identity in the development of depressive anxiety and psychosis symptoms in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity a process oriented approach |
| topic | Childhood adversity Identity processes Adolescence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06649-y |
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