The effect of personal, social, and collective identity on mental well-being in university students

Abstract

Identity is a process in which self-perception is formed through the groups and culture of which individuals are members, as well as their internal inquiries about who they are. In this respect, personal, social and collective identity types draw attention in the literature. It is known that the achievement of individuals in identity integrity increases well-being. In this context, it was aimed to investigate the effects of personal, social and collective identity on mental well-being in this study. This study was carried out in accordance with the correlational pattern, one of the quantitative research designs. The research group of the study consisted of 341 (254 female, 87 male) university students between the ages of 18-30 (mean = 20.93). Personal Information Form, Identity Questionnaire and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale Short Form were used as data collection tools in the study. According to correlation analysis, there was a positive relationship between mental well-being and personal identity, social identity, and collective identity. According to structural equation model analysis, it was found that personal identity and collective identity positively and significantly predict mental well-being, but the effect of social identity on mental well-being was not significant. The results are discussed in the context of identity and well-being literature.