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Truskauskaite I, Sugimura K, Abe K, Hihara S, Haramaki Y, Jovarauskaite L, Kamite Y, Kazlauskas E. Exploring trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress in university students of different identity statuses in Lithuania and Japan. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38179690 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942300161x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Emerging adulthood is the time when identity questions are addressed. It is also a time of excessive stress and risk for mental health problems. Different identity statuses relate to different mental health outcomes. Yet, little research has addressed how identity status is interlinked with trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress reactions, especially in multicultural contexts. The current study aimed to explore whether different traumatic experiences are related to the current identity status of university students aged between 18 and 29 years and investigate to what extent trauma-exposed emerging adults of different identity statuses report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD). In total, 2237 university students from Lithuania (n = 791) and Japan (n = 1345) participated in the current study. Identity profiles were revealed by using the Latent Class Analysis approach. Lithuania and Japan were comparable in terms of identity profiles and structure of PTSD/CPTSD. Trauma-exposed emerging adults reported a higher probability of being in troubled diffusion identity status; students in achievement identity status had a lower probability of CPTSD and lower rates of symptoms of disturbances in self-organization. The diffused identity of emerging adults from Lithuania and Japan is associated with trauma exposure, and positive identity is linked with fewer CPTSD reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kazumi Sugimura
- Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Abe
- Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shogo Hihara
- Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yutaka Haramaki
- Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | | | - Yuka Kamite
- Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Azarmehr R, Reck AJ, Zhang L, Oshri A. COVID-19-related stress exacerbates the effect of child maltreatment on negative affect via increased identity confusion during adolescence. J Adolesc 2024; 96:18-30. [PMID: 37718632 PMCID: PMC10843095 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Exposure to childhood maltreatment may undermine the crucial developmental task of identity formation in adolescence, placing them at risk for developing negative affect. The current study investigated whether COVID-19-related stress intensified the indirect link between child maltreatment and adolescents' negative affect through identity confusion. METHOD Using multidimensional assessments of child maltreatment (threat vs. deprivation), the study included a sample of 124 adolescents (Mage = 12.89, SD = 0.79; 52% female) assessed before (January 2018 to March 2020) and during the pandemic (May to October 2020) in Georgia, United States. The majority of the participants were European American (78.8%), followed by African American (11.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%), and other (4.8%). We used structural equation modeling to test (a) the mediating role of identity confusion in the link between childhood maltreatment and negative affect and (b) whether COVID-19-related stress moderated these indirect effects. Simple slopes and Johnson-Neyman plots were generated to probe regions of significant interaction effects. RESULTS Threat and deprivation predicted an increase in adolescent identity confusion. Additionally, childhood threat and deprivation were indirectly linked to adolescents' negative affect through increased levels of identity confusion. COVID-19-related stress significantly exacerbated the link between identity confusion and negative affect. CONCLUSION Identity confusion is a mechanism underlying the link between child maltreatment and the development of negative affect in adolescence. Our results inform prevention and intervention programs that aim to reduce negative affect among adolescents who experience threatening and depriving rearing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabeeh Azarmehr
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Dawson Hall, 305 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, United States
- Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, Room 208, 105 Foster Road (Pound Hall), Athens, GA, 30606, United States
| | - Ava J. Reck
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Dawson Hall, 305 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, United States
- Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, Room 208, 105 Foster Road (Pound Hall), Athens, GA, 30606, United States
| | - Linhao Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Dawson Hall, 305 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, United States
- Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, Room 208, 105 Foster Road (Pound Hall), Athens, GA, 30606, United States
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Dawson Hall, 305 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, United States
- Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, Room 208, 105 Foster Road (Pound Hall), Athens, GA, 30606, United States
- Integrated Life Sciences, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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