Abstract
BackgroundIn the continuing revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) “identity” is integrated as a central diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning). According to Kernberg, identity diffusion is one of the core elements of borderline personality organization. As there is no elaborated self-rating inventory to assess identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents, we developed the AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) questionnaire to assess this complex dimension, varying from “Identity Integration” to “Identity Diffusion”, in a broad and substructured way and evaluated its psychometric properties in a mixed school and clinical sample.MethodsTest construction was deductive, referring to psychodynamic as well as social-cognitive theories, and led to a special item pool, with consideration for clarity and ease of comprehension. Participants were 305 students aged 12–18 attending a public school and 52 adolescent psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with diagnoses of personality disorders (N = 20) or other mental disorders (N = 32). Convergent validity was evaluated by covariations with personality development (JTCI 12–18 R scales), criterion validity by differences in identity development (AIDA scales) between patients and controls.ResultsAIDA showed excellent total score (Diffusion: α = .94), scale (Discontinuity: α = .86; Incoherence: α = .92) and subscale (α = .73-.86) reliabilities. High levels of Discontinuity and Incoherence were associated with low levels in Self Directedness, an indicator of maladaptive personality functioning. Both AIDA scales were significantly different between PD-patients and controls with remarkable effect sizes (d) of 2.17 and 1.94 standard deviations.ConclusionAIDA is a reliable and valid instrument to assess normal and disturbed identity in adolescents. Studies for further validation and for obtaining population norms are in progress and may provide insight in the relevant aspects of identity development in differentiating specific psychopathology and therapeutic focus and outcome.
Highlights
In the continuing revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) “identity” is integrated as a central diagnostic criterion for personality disorders
All scales are coded towards pathology, so high scores indicate high disturbance. This current study examines the psychometric properties of the questionnaire AIDA
There is no elaborated self-rating inventory to assess identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents, so we developed the questionnaire AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) and examined its psychometric properties in referred and non-referred samples
Summary
In the continuing revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) “identity” is integrated as a central diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning). Erikson described identity as a fundamental organizing principal, developing constantly throughout life and providing a sense of continuity within the self and in interaction with others (,,self-sameness“) as well as a frame to differentiate between self and others (,,uniqueness“), which allows the individual to function autonomously from others [2]. He described the consolidation of identity as a central task in normal adolescent development, when previous identifications and introjections had to be shed and transformed in a process that is called an identity crisis. Identity aids in self-reflective functioning, autonomy, effective social exchanges and provides predictability and continuity of functioning within a person, across situations, and across time [5]
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