Who am I? Identity and its implications for health and psychosocial functioning

The establishment of a coherent sense of self and identity represents a central developmental task of adolescence and emerging adulthood that has been increasingly conceptualized as a “steering mechanism” that guides one's life pathways and decisions. However, although identity development often involves navigating a period of identity uncertainty, prolonged and/or severe identity distress can interfere with normal adaptive functioning. Unsurprisingly, an extensive body of research has indicated that the ability to establish an integrated sense of self is associated with the greatest levels of well-being and the lowest levels of internalizing symptoms. This current chapter serves as a review of the link between identity and health among adolescent and emerging adult populations. Towards that end, we begin by providing an overview of identity theory and contextualize identity development within adolescence and young adulthood. Next, we provide a narrative review of research documenting the association between identity and adolescent health. Finally, we conclude by reviewing the research on identity-focused intervention programs and highlight important future directions.