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Abstract
Objective: To examine the relationships between identity status, stress and substance abuse, and to comment upon the potential mediating effect of personal psychological resources on these relationships.
Method: Participants comprised a sample of 179 young adults (52.5% female) aged between 18 and 25 years. A questionnaire comprising sociodemographic questions and measures of identity status, life event stress and perceived stress, substance abuse, and mastery was distributed throughout Adelaide, South Australia.
Findings: Key results were that both life event stress and perceived stress were consistently associated with substance abuse as was identity diffusion, although primarily in the domain of ideological diffusion. Both coping ability and mastery offered some protection from substance abuse, with the exception of drug abuse. However, in multivariate analyses these protective effects failed, in general, to mediate the association between ideological diffusion and substance abuse. Mastery did, however, provide modest protection against the adverse effects of greater life event stress on the experience of substance abuse.
Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to the theoretical understanding of identity status. Diffused individuals appear to seek refuge from life stressors by involvement in substance use and abuse. Consideration is given to the need for further research into the utility of identity status measures within therapeutic interventions for substance abusers.
Acknowledgements
Financial support for this research was provided by the School of Psychology at the University of South Australia.