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Anxiety trajectories and identity development in adolescence: a five-wave longitudinal study
Elisabetta Crocetti1, Theo Klimstra, Loes Keijsers
1Department of Educational Sciences, University of Macerata, Italy, P.O. Box: Piazzale Luigi Bertelli (Contrada Vallebona), Macerata 62100, Italy. elisabetta.crocetti@unimc.it
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|July 29, 2009
Summary
Adolescents with high anxiety show more difficult identity development. Their commitments weaken with age, and they frequently reconsider their choices, unlike peers with low anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Adolescent identity development is a critical developmental task.
- Anxiety can potentially impact psychological development during adolescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between anxiety and adolescent identity development.
- To identify distinct anxiety trajectories in adolescents and their impact on identity formation.
Main Methods:
- A five-wave longitudinal study involving 1,313 adolescents.
- Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) to identify latent anxiety classes.
- Regression analyses to examine the influence of anxiety classes on identity dimensions (commitment, exploration, reconsideration).
Main Results:
- Two distinct anxiety trajectories were identified: a decreasing low anxiety class and an increasing high anxiety class.
- Adolescents in the high anxiety class exhibited more problematic identity development.
- High anxiety adolescents showed decreasing commitment and increased reconsideration of commitment over time.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety significantly influences the trajectory of identity development in adolescents.
- High anxiety is associated with weaker identity commitments and greater identity instability.
- Interventions targeting anxiety may be beneficial for fostering healthy adolescent identity development.
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