The role of personal identity as a resource for college students during COVID-19. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Objective: We examined the role of personal identity vis--vis COVID-related outcomes among college students from seven U.S. campuses during spring/summer 2021. Participants: The present sample consisted of 1,688 students (74.5% female, age range 18-29). The sample was ethnically diverse, and 57.3% were first-generation students. Procedures: Students completed an online survey assessing personal identity synthesis and confusion, COVID-related worries, general internalizing symptoms, positive adaptation, and general well-being. Results: Personal identity synthesis was negatively related to COVID-related worries and general internalizing symptoms, and positively related to positive adaptation, both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Personal identity confusion evidenced an opposing set of direct and indirect associations with outcome variables. Conclusions: Personal identity may potentially be protective against pandemic-related distress among college students, in part through its association with well-being. Reducing identity confusion and promoting identity synthesis are essential among college students during this and future pandemics.

published proceedings

  • J Am Coll Health

author list (cited authors)

  • Schwartz, S. J., Ertanir, B., Harkness, A., Zamboanga, B. L., Bessaha, M. L., Bartholomew, J. B., ... Martinez, C. R.

complete list of authors

  • Schwartz, Seth J||Ertanir, Beyhan||Harkness, Audrey||Zamboanga, Byron L||Bessaha, Melissa L||Bartholomew, John B||Meca, Alan||Michikyan, Minas||Duque, Maria||Montero-Zamora, Pablo||López-Madrigal, Claudia||Castillo, Linda G||Ángel Cano, Miguel||Subrahmanyam, Kaveri||Piña-Watson, Brandy||Regan, Pamela||Ham, Lindsay S||Hanson, Marissa K||Martinez, Charles R

publication date

  • June 2023