Unresolved attachment and identity diffusion in adolescence

This study examined the severity of unresolved attachment underlying adolescent identity diffusion. Our sample consisted of 180 inpatient adolescents aged 14 to 18 years (77% female, M = 15.13, SD = 1.35; 23% male, M = 14.85, SD = 1.41) and 84 age-matched non-clinical adolescents (52% female, M = 16.14, SD = 1.21; 48% males, M = 15.98, SD = 1.07). We used the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) interview to assess attachment representations and the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA) questionnaire to evaluate the severity of identity diffusion. Our results demonstrate a higher amount of unresolved attachment and identity diffusion in the patient sample than in the control sample. Furthermore, patients with an unresolved attachment status scored higher on identity diffusion than those with no unresolved attachment pattern. Interestingly, this was not found in the control group. Furthermore, patients with a greater severity of unresolved attachment showed the highest maladaptive identity development scores. Psychotherapeutic interventions integrating attachment-related aspects might be useful to treat young people with identity diffusion.