OBJECTIVEThe current study examined the utility of a new self-report questionnaire, the Illness Identity Questionnaire (IIQ), which assesses the concept of illness identity, or the degree to which type 1 diabetes is integrated into one's identity. Four illness identity dimensions (engulfment, rejection, acceptance, and enrichment) were validated in adolescents and emerging adults with type 1 diabetes. Associations with psychological and diabetes-specific functioning were assessed. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSA sample of 575 adolescents and emerging adults (14-25 years of age) with type 1 diabetes completed questionnaires on illness identity, psychological functioning, diabetes-related problems, and treatment adherence. Physicians were contacted to collect HbA 1c values from patients' medical records. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the IIQ. Path analysis with structural equation modeling was used to examine associations between illness identity and psychological and diabetes-specific functioning. RESULTSCFA indicated that the IIQ has a clear factor structure, meaningfully differentiating four illness identity dimensions. Rejection was related to worse treatment adherence and higher HbA 1c values. Engulfment was related to less adaptive psychological functioning and more diabetes-related problems. Acceptance was related to more adaptive psychological functioning, fewer diabetes-related problems, and better treatment adherence. Enrichment was related to more adaptive psychological functioning. CONCLUSIONSThe present findings underscore the importance of the concept of illness identity. A valid and reliable measure, the IIQ, is introduced to measure four illness identity dimensions in individuals with type 1 diabetes. These four illness identity dimensions were uniquely related to psychological and diabetes-specific functioning.Adolescence and emerging adulthood are important developmental periods to establish lifelong routines of diabetes care in individuals with type 1 diabetes (1). To achieve optimal diabetes care routines, adolescents and emerging adults need to incorporate type 1 diabetes management as part of their daily life and, consequently, need to integrate diabetes into their sense of self or identity (2). Identity development constitutes a core developmental task during adolescence (3) that

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Introduction: Eating disorder symptomatology, comprising both psychological and behavioral aspects of subclinical eating concerns, constitutes a clear precursor of developing eating disorders. It is crucial to investigate its antecedents and correlates to subsequently inform eating disorder prevention programs. The present study focused on identity formation, a core developmental task in adolescence, that has increasingly been linked to eating disorder development. Our main aim was to examine the temporal sequence between eating disorder symptomatology and identity formation.Methods: Data on eating disorder symptomatology and identity formation were collected in 530 high school students (at Time 1: mean age = 15 years; SD = 1.84; range: 12–18 years; 50.6% females) using self-report questionnaires at three annual measurement points. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling was performed to examine the directionality of effects.Results: Results indicated bidirectional effects between eating disorder symptomatology and identity formation. Identity confusion seemed to increase vulnerability to body dissatisfaction and bulimia symptoms, whereas identity synthesis seemed to protect against their development. Additionally, identity synthesis seemed to protect against the development of drive for thinness as well. At the same time, body dissatisfaction and bulimia symptoms positively predicted identity confusion and negatively predicted identity synthesis over time.Conclusion: The present study adds to the growing body of literature on identity and eating disorders by focusing on their temporal interplay in a community sample of adolescents. As bidirectional effects emerged, a greater emphasis on identity formation in eating disorder prevention programs is advocated.

Problems with identity formation are associated with a range of psychiatric disorders. Yet, the mechanisms underlying such problems and how they are refined into specific diagnostic presentations require further investigation. The present study investigated identity processes among 123 women with eating disorders (ED) and age-matched community controls via a newly developed identity model. Several clinical outcome variables were assessed. Patients with ED scored lower on committing to and identifying with identity-related choices and scored higher on maladaptive or ruminative exploration, identity diffusion and identity disorder. They also experienced less identity achievement as compared with controls. The identity disorder status was associated with the highest scores on anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder symptoms, and non-suicidal self-injury and the lowest scores on need satisfaction. Results indicate that patients with ED experience more identity problems than community controls and those captured by an identity disorder status experience the most problematic psychosocial functioning. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Identity formation constitutes a core developmental task during adolescence and emerging adulthood. However, it remains unclear how identity formation may vary across age, gender, and context (education vs. employment) in these developmental periods. The present study used a recently developed model to examine identity statuses or types in a sample of 7,906 Flemish individuals (14–30 years old; 64% female). As expected, achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, carefree diffusion, troubled diffusion, and an undifferentiated status emerged through cluster analysis. Women were overrepresented in the moratorium status (characterized by high exploration), whereas men were mainly situated in foreclosure and carefree diffusion statuses (both characterized by low exploration, but individuals in foreclosure having strong identity commitments as well). Individuals in the carefree and troubled diffusion statuses, which represent the least adaptive statuses, were youngest. High school students were overrepresented in the diffusion statuses and college students were mostly present in achievement (representing the most mature status) and moratorium. Finally, employed individuals were overrepresented in foreclosure, whereas unemployed individuals were mainly situated in troubled diffusion. In sum, the present study systematically examined relationships between empirically-identified identity statuses and socio-demographic variables in a large-scale sample, generating important information on age, gender, and contextual differences in identity.