The Relationship Between Identity Consistency Across Social Roles and Different Aspects of Mental Health Varies by Age Group

Abstract

The relationships between identity consistency and continuous measures of emotional, psychological, and social well-being and differences in the degree of identity consistency among individuals in the flourishing and moderately mentally healthy categories were studied in a sample of 109 adults. Participants estimated their mental health and rated 16 self-concept attributes in three different social roles as friend, romantic partner, and coworker or classmate. Significant associations were found between the identity consistency index and emotional and psychological well-being, but not social well-being. Results also showed significant main effects of mental health categories and age groups on identity consistency, indicating that flourishing individuals demonstrate higher consistency than moderately mentally healthy individuals and that young individuals display lower consistency than middle-aged and older individuals.

Notes

^# p < .10. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.

Note. Significant main effects were found for mental health categories, F(1, 93) = 4.44, p = .04, partial η ²  = .05; age groups, F(2, 93) = 3.63, p = .03, partial η ²  = .07. The interaction effect between the mental health categories and age groups was not significant, F(2, 93) = 1.04, ns.