Identity and depression

Prolonged doubt about your identity (who you are) can lead to depressive symptoms.

Andrik Becht and colleagues investigated whether adolescents’ doubts about their identity, that is, who they are, predict the development of depressive symptoms (such as feeling sad). For this study, they used RADAR surveys from adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18. The researchers found that adolescents who had insecurities about their identity showed more depressive symptoms one year later. No evidence was found that adolescents with more depressive symptoms had more doubts about their identity one year later. Not only did Andrik Becht and colleagues study the impact of identity on depressive symptoms amongst Dutch adolescents from the RADAR study, but also amongst a group of more than 1000 adolescents from Belgium. Belgian adolescents that were unsure of their identity also had more depressive symptoms one year later. Based on this large-scale international study, Andrik Becht and colleagues conclude that it is important for adolescents to develop a strong identity, as a clear image of who you are can protect you from developing depressive symptoms.

Becht, A., Luyckx, K., Nelemans, S. A., Goossens, L., Branje, S. J. T., Vollebergh, W. A. M., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2019). Linking Identity and Depressive Symptoms Across Adolescence: A Multi-Sample Longitudinal Study Testing Within-Person Effects. Developmental Psychology, 55, 1733-1742. doi: 10.1037/dev0000742.