Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Exploring trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress in university students of different identity statuses in
Inga Truskauskaite1, Kazumi Sugimura2, Kazuaki Abe2
1Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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.
Related Concept Videos
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Deindividuation
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Marcia's Theory of Identity Status

