TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of personal identity as a resource for college students during COVID-19
AU - Schwartz, Seth J.
AU - Ertanir, Beyhan
AU - Harkness, Audrey
AU - Zamboanga, Byron L.
AU - Bessaha, Melissa L.
AU - Bartholomew, John B.
AU - Meca, Alan
AU - Michikyan, Minas
AU - Duque, Maria
AU - Montero-Zamora, Pablo
AU - López-Madrigal, Claudia
AU - Castillo, Linda G.
AU - Ángel Cano, Miguel
AU - Subrahmanyam, Kaveri
AU - Piña-Watson, Brandy
AU - Regan, Pamela
AU - Ham, Lindsay S.
AU - Hanson, Marissa K.
AU - Martinez, Charles R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Objective: We examined the role of personal identity vis-à-vis COVID-related outcomes among college students from seven U.S. campuses during spring/summer 2021. Participants: The present sample consisted of 1,688 students (74.5% female, age range 18-29). The sample was ethnically diverse, and 57.3% were first-generation students. Procedures: Students completed an online survey assessing personal identity synthesis and confusion, COVID-related worries, general internalizing symptoms, positive adaptation, and general well-being. Results: Personal identity synthesis was negatively related to COVID-related worries and general internalizing symptoms, and positively related to positive adaptation, both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Personal identity confusion evidenced an opposing set of direct and indirect associations with outcome variables. Conclusions: Personal identity may potentially be protective against pandemic-related distress among college students, in part through its association with well-being. Reducing identity confusion and promoting identity synthesis are essential among college students during this and future pandemics.
AB - Objective: We examined the role of personal identity vis-à-vis COVID-related outcomes among college students from seven U.S. campuses during spring/summer 2021. Participants: The present sample consisted of 1,688 students (74.5% female, age range 18-29). The sample was ethnically diverse, and 57.3% were first-generation students. Procedures: Students completed an online survey assessing personal identity synthesis and confusion, COVID-related worries, general internalizing symptoms, positive adaptation, and general well-being. Results: Personal identity synthesis was negatively related to COVID-related worries and general internalizing symptoms, and positively related to positive adaptation, both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Personal identity confusion evidenced an opposing set of direct and indirect associations with outcome variables. Conclusions: Personal identity may potentially be protective against pandemic-related distress among college students, in part through its association with well-being. Reducing identity confusion and promoting identity synthesis are essential among college students during this and future pandemics.
KW - COVID-19
KW - College students
KW - distress
KW - personal identity
KW - well-being
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85161714412
U2 - 10.1080/07448481.2023.2214244
DO - 10.1080/07448481.2023.2214244
M3 - Article
C2 - 37289970
AN - SCOPUS:85161714412
SN - 0744-8481
VL - 73
SP - 244
EP - 254
JO - Journal of American College Health
JF - Journal of American College Health
IS - 1
ER -