Identity-related problems: direct and indirect associations with emotional intelligence and childhood environment.

Abstract

Objective: Identity-related problems are associated with various negative outcomes including depression and self-inflicted injury. Researchers theorise that childhood invalidating environments may contribute to identity problems, whereas high parental emotional availability facilitates adaptive identity functioning. We investigated the association between these developmental environments and identity functioning using a cross-sectional design, and the potential intermediary role of emotional intelligence.

Method: Undergraduate students (N = 186; Mage = 18.43, SD = 1.64; 77% female; 53.2% Asian; 38.2% White) completed online questionnaires assessing emotional intelligence, childhood invalidation, parental emotional availability, and identity functioning. We used PROCESS Macro with bootstrapped samples to examine the direct and indirect associations (via emotional intelligence) between developmental environments (i.e. childhood invalidation and parental emotional availability) and identity functioning (global identity problems, disturbed identity, lack of identity, and consolidated identity).

Results: Childhood invalidating environments and parental emotional availability were each directly and indirectly (via emotional intelligence) associated with identity problems. Higher childhood invalidating environment scores were associated with poorer emotional intelligence, which in turn were associated with more severe identity problems and lower consolidated identity scores. Conversely, higher parental emotional availability scores were associated with higher emotional intelligence scores, which in turn were associated with higher consolidated identity scores and lower identity problems.

Discussion: Distinct aspects of identity-related functioning were implicated in these pathways, underscoring the importance of conceptualising identity functioning as a multifaceted construct. Our findings provide preliminary support for the role of emotional intelligence and developmental environments as important correlates of and potential contributors to identity problems.