Youth Identity Research Articles

Topical Review: Acute and Chronic Pain Experiences in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth.

To provide an overview of the existing literature on gender diversity in pediatric acute and chronic pain, propose an ecological systems model of understanding pain in transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth, and identify a direction for future work that will address the key knowledge gaps identified. Relevant literature on pain and gender diversity was reviewed, drawing from adult literature where there was insufficient evidence in pediatric populations. Existing relevant models for understanding minority stress, gender and pain, and pain experiences within marginalized groups were considered with the reviewed literature to develop a pain model in TGD youth. While there is an abundance of literature pointing to increased risk for pain experiences amongst TGD youth, there is comparably little empirical evidence of the rates of pain amongst TGD youth, prevalence of TGD identities in pain care settings, effective pain treatments for TGD youth and unique considerations for their care, and the role intersectional factors in understanding TGD youth identities and pain. Pediatric psychologists are well-positioned to advance the research on acute and chronic pain in TGD youth, make evidence-based adaptations to clinical care for TGD youth with pain, including pain related to gender affirmation, and support colleagues within the medical system to provide more inclusive care.

Self-concept and Narrative Identity in Youth at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

Disturbances of the narrative self and personal identity accompany the onset of psychotic disorders in late adolescence and early adulthood (a formative developmental stage for self-concept and personal narratives). However, these issues have primarily been studied retrospectively after illness onset, limiting any inferences about their developmental course. Youth at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) (n = 49) and matched healthy comparison youth (n = 52) completed a life story interview (including self-defining memory, turning point, life challenge, and psychotic-like experience) and questionnaires assessing self-esteem, self-beliefs, self-concept clarity, and ruminative/reflective self-focus. Trained raters coded interviews for narrative identity themes of emotional tone, agency, temporal coherence, context coherence, self-event connections, and meaning-making (intraclass correlations >0.75). Statistical analyses tested group differences and relationships between self-concept, narrative identity, symptoms, and functioning. CHR participants reported more negative self-esteem and self-beliefs, poorer self-concept clarity, and more ruminative self-focus, all of which related to negative symptoms. CHR participants narrated their life stories with themes of negative emotion and passivity (ie, lack of personal agency), which related to positive and negative symptoms. Reflective self-focus and autobiographical reasoning were unaffected and correlated. Autobiographical reasoning was uniquely associated with preserved role functioning. This group of youth at CHR exhibited some, but not all, changes to self-concept and narrative identity seen in psychotic disorders. A core theme of negativity, uncertainty, and passivity ran through their semantic and narrative self-representations. Preserved self-reflection and autobiographical reasoning suggest sources of resilience and potential footholds for cognitive-behavioral and metacognitive interventions.

Challenges in Understanding and Supporting Gender Identity in Youth With ASD and/or Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Challenges in Understanding and Supporting Gender Identity in Youth With ASD and/or Intellectual Developmental Disorder

2.72 Factors Associated With Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity in US Children and Youth

2.72 Factors Associated With Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity in US Children and Youth

Socio-anthropological exploration of Saudi youth identity formation in domestic and social spaces

This comprehensive research examines the formation of social identity among Saudi youth within the domains of bedrooms, homes, and Istiraha, a traditional communal gathering space. Drawing inspiration from Western studies on room culture and societal dynamics, the primary objective of this research is to scrutinize the socio-cultural transformations occurring within Saudi society, as reflected in the interactions of its youth in these distinct spaces. Departing from the conventional functional and moralistic framing of Saudi youth as social issues, this study adopts a socio-anthropological perspective. It perceives young individuals as active agents in the process of shaping their identities within a unique cultural milieu, employing a descriptive-analytical methodology. Fieldwork was conducted in late 2022, involving the administration of questionnaires to a randomly selected sample of 384 students at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia, in addition to focus group discussions with 37 students. These methods were utilized to explore students' perceptions, activities, and attitudes within the specific social environments under investigation. The study's findings reveal that Saudi youth employ their bedrooms, homes, and Istiraha spaces to delineate their identities through three distinct social strategies: Autonomy, Reproduction, and Integration. Additionally, this research uncovers a gender-based distinction in the prevalence of room culture among the youth, contrary to Western findings. Istiraha, as an ancient cultural tradition, assumes a significant role as a gathering space for Saudi youth, affording them an opportunity to distance themselves from societal and familial constraints. In light of these discoveries, this research recommends an expansion of studies concerning the anthropology of spaces and social milieus in relation to the ongoing social transformations in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it suggests an examination of room culture and Istiraha culture among Saudi youth from the perspective of their parents to gain insights into how these phenomena are perceived, their attitudes towards them, and the resulting behaviors. This exploration can illuminate aspects of generational continuity and disruption within the Saudi social fabric.

Perception of Identity and Religious Life in Youth: The Case of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Theology

Kimlik, bireyin kim olduğu hakkında kendisine sorduğu soruların cevabıdır. Bu cevabın süreklilik, bütünlük ve tutarlılık içeren bir yapıda olması kimlik inşasının temel niteliğidir. Kimlik edinmek, önemli psikolojik ihtiyaçlardan birisidir. Bu terimi psikolojiye kazandıran kişi olarak Erik Ericson pek çok kimlik teorisine temel teşkil etmiştir. Ergenlik döneminde kendisini ciddi şekilde hissettiren kimlik arayışı, yetişkinlikte dengeli ve sürdürülebilir bir kimlik duygusunun temelini oluşturur. Kimlik duygusu, bireyin şahsi gerçeklik içinde kendisini tanımlamasına imkân sağlamaktadır. Öznel ve doğal bir kimlik algısı oluşturmakla birey hayat amacı ile ilgili sağlam bir bilgiye sahip olmuş olmaktadır. Bireysel kimliğin yanında kişi içinde yaşadığı toplumun milli, siyasi, dini, ekonomik değer yargılarını da içselleştirmeye dönük bir yönelim içine girer. Bu yönelim, kazanılmış kimlikleri ortaya çıkarır. Kazanılmış kimliklerin oluşturduğu koşullar, bir takım kalıp ve kategoriler meydana getirir. Kimlik psikoloji, sosyoloji ve sosyal psikolojide çalışılan önemli konulardan birisidir. Birey ve gruplar için kimlik inşası üzerine sosyal bilimsel zeminde pek çok araştırma yapılmasına rağmen kimlik algısında dinin rolü üzerine az sayıda araştırma bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, gençlerde kimlik algısı ve dini hayat arası ilişkinin ele alınması amaçlanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda gençlerin kendileri için geliştirdiği şahsi gerçeklik olarak kimliğin inşası, dini kimliğin gençlerin yaşamına etkileri ve kimlik algısının dinden ne kadar etkilendiği karşılıklı ilişki yaklaşımı içinde incelenmektedir. Nitel araştırma yöntemi takip edilerek gerçekleştirilmiş olan bu çalışmada, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi’nde lisans seviyesinde eğitim alan 10 kız ve 10 erkek öğrenciden mülakat tekniği ile veri toplanmıştır. Görüşme sırasında 2 katılımcı görüşmeden çekilmek istediğini belirttiği için 18 katılımcının verdiği cevaplar değerlendirmeye alınmıştır. Katılımcıların verdiği cevaplar içerik analizi ile incelenmiş ve bulgular bilimsel açıdan yorumlanmıştır. Katılımcıların bireysel ve durumsal kimlik algılarına bakıldığında, gençlerin daha önce kendileriyle ilgili bir farkındalıklarının olmadığı göze çarpan ilk unsurdur. Katılımcılardan sadece dördü kendilerini milli ve manevi kimlik üzerinden tanımlarken bir katılımcı da kendisini dini bir grup üzerinden tanımlamaktadır. Din sadece bir rahatlama, kendilerini bütün bu olumsuzluklara rağmen güvende hissetme aracı olarak görülmektedir.

Political Values, Orientations and Ideals of Modern Youth and Their Reflection in Virtual Space

Introduction. The active dissemination of information and digital technologies in the 20th century has led to the fact that the virtual space today has become the main platform for expressing the political, cultural and spiritual values of young people. Representatives of this age group most often use digital resources as a means of self-expression and a channel for obtaining information about changes in the modern world. In Russia, the virtual space is used by various actors to form public opinion and include young people in the political and public life of the state. On the other hand, the possibilities of the virtual space are often used as a tool for misinforming young people, spreading fakes, extremist and radical sentiments. Given the difficult foreign policy situation and the need to ensure the national security of the Russian Federation and protect its population, including in the virtual space, it becomes necessary to study the political orientations and values of young people. Methods. The basis of the methodology of this article is formed by a combination of general scientific, special and applied methods. The choice of the axiological approach as a methodological basis for the study of value orientations and ideals of modern youth made it possible to consider values as an important social phenomenon that requires a specific study that reflects the features of the reflection of political values in the virtual space. Hermeneutical analysis, presented in line with the integration of qualitative and quantitative research methods, is used in the study of the formation of personal identity, values, experiences of the younger generation associated with the expression of their individuality and political preferences in a virtual environment. The semiotic approach was used in the process of studying the sign-symbolic field of modern youth culture in the virtual space. The empirical basis of the study was statistical data that allows us to assess the involvement of young people in the Internet environment and trace the trends in the development of the virtual space in modern Russia. The materials of sociological surveys conducted by the Levada Center and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center made it possible to draw conclusions about the inclusion of Russian society in the virtual space, as well as about the value preferences of Russians aged 18 to 35 regarding material, family and civic ideals. Results and Discussion. The article is aimed at studying the characteristics of young people as an age group and the specifics of the reflection of their value ideals in the virtual space. The development of the Internet and social networks leads to new problems and potential dangers for the younger generation, which spends a lot of time in the virtual space. It is concluded that the life guidelines of young people are a high level of material well-being, the opportunity to live a measured life and benefit society. Despite the greater awareness of young people about the history and culture of Russia, about the importance of family values, this age group is characterized by the formation of a Western mentality based on the values of consumer individualism. Ignoring the traditional media, young people listen to “opinion leaders”, which makes them more vulnerable to all sorts of manipulations by political actors hostile to our country.

The Influence of Internet Communications on the Formation of Political Identity and Political Behavior of Russian Youth

Introduction. The author of the article develops a theme of the Internet influence on formation of ego- and collective identity of youth ages 18–24. Materials and Methods. Behaviorism, network approaches were used as the theoretical and methodological strategy of the study, as well as systematization of results, obtained during the 14 interviews. Results. We have come to the conclusion that political identity of Russian youth ages 18–24 isn’t formed. This fact can be one of the causes of low political participation of the studied age group. In order to set a trend for sustainable political identity of youth forming, we need to create a unified communication system, which will help to create conditions for internalization of citizen identity values by young generations. Experts agree on the opinion, that the legitimacy of Russian government in the eyes of youth can be enhanced by implementing Internet-technologies, adapted to the young audience’s special perception of information (gamified content, short video content, preferably with the opinion leaders participation), as Russian youth, firstly, tend to rely on the Internet as the most transparent source of information, secondly, young people of Russia use the Internet more often, comparable to other generations. Discussion and Conclusion. Underdevelopment of political identity of Russian younger generations is explained by several factors: first of all, the absence of well articulated by the Russian state image of the future, secondly, too frequent to adapt to them policy changes, thirdly, increasing distance between Russian government and Russian youths and, finally, creating conditions, that decrease the possibility of professional self-realization of younger generations. Raising its socializing effect on youth and becoming more significant mean of communication, the Internet can be used as a political tool, which could help with the forming of sustainable political identity of Russian youth but only if technologies, used by political actors in cyberspace, would be transparent and available for verification.

Traditional value foundations of all-Russian identity: case study of the Northern Caucasus youth

The issue of forming and sustaining all-Russian identity among the youth has become particularly relevant and significant in the context of increasing geopolitical risks and sociocultural confrontation. The value and ideological foundations of student identity vividly reflect the contradictions between two main sociocultural codes: traditional and modern. Resolving this contradiction may lead to increased stability in all-Russian identity or its gradual weakening. The research results indicate that the main elements of the traditional Russian value matrix retain their significance as the basis for all-Russian identity. The lack of significant differences in the assessments of respondents from the Russian and North Caucasian peoples, Orthodox and Muslim adherents, indicates the integrative role of traditional Russian values for people with different ethnocultural identities. In the hierarchy of identities, the local identity is prioritised for the respondents. This is followed by all-Russian civil, value-ideological, ethnocultural identity, and belonging to the “Russian world”. The attitude towards religion serves as a marker for value-ideological differences between traditionalists-collectivists and modernists-individualists. The research reveals statistically significant differences in the positions of non-religious respondents and believers. Respondents who do not associate themselves with any religious denomination have less pronounced ethnocultural and religious foundations of identity. The formation of traditional foundations for all-Russian youth identity is interpreted as evidence of a high degree of all-national consolidation in the polyethnic youth environment. The significance of traditional identification values indirectly confirms the partial depoliticisation of identity, as it transitions into the sociocultural dimension, that reduces the risks of ethnopolitical conflict.

Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ) in Early Adolescents: Psychometric Evaluation and Association with Features of Personality Disorder

Identity formation is central to adolescent development. Challenges in establishing a stable sense of self is associated with maladaptive identity function, which has been recognized as a core feature of personality pathology. The narrative identity framework offers a unique lens to garner salient information about one’s sense of self. The Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ) is a self-report measure of narrative identity validated in adults but is yet to be validated in adolescents. The current study aimed to conduct the first psychometric evaluation of the ANIQ in a sample of 205 youth aged 10–14 years (M = 12.1 ± 1.06 years; 50.7% female; 73.7% Hispanic) recruited from a public charter school. Results confirmed the four-factor structure of the ANIQ and showed high internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported through negative associations between the ANIQ and borderline personality features and identity diffusion. Incremental validity of the ANIQ over identity diffusion in predicting borderline personality features was also examined, but not supported. Overall, results support the ANIQ as a promising instrument for the assessment of narrative identity in youth. However, some improvements to the ANIQ might be necessary in order to use it as a clinical tool in identifying youth with personality pathology.

A latent profile analysis of perceived family reactions to youth LGBTQ identity.

Family members' reactions to youth identity disclosure are important predictors of well-being for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ) youth. To better understand potential variation within and across families' current reactions, this study established latent profiles of family level reaction patterns and examined predictors and outcomes associated with these patterns. In 2011-2012, LGBTQ youth (N = 447, Mage = 18.8) rated their mother's, father's, brother's, and sister's reactions to their LGBTQ identity and reported their own depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Latent profile analysis tested patterns of family members' reactions. Most participants reported either moderately positive reactions (49.2%) or very positive reactions (34.0%) from all family members, though 16.8% of youth reported negative reactions from all family members. Youth social positions and demographic factors predicted profile membership: transgender youth, youth-assigned male at birth, older age at first disclosure predicted membership in the negative family reaction profile, whereas gay youth, having a parent and/or sibling with an LGBTQ identity, coresidence with either mothers, fathers, or siblings, and more years since first disclosure predicted membership in the very positive family reaction profile. Multiracial youth and younger youth were more likely to be in the moderately positive family reaction profile. Youth in families characterized by negative reactions had higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem compared to those who reported moderately positive or very positive reactions. Findings underscore the interconnectedness of family members' reactions and suggest that interventions for LGBTQ youth with rejecting and/or less accepting family members may need to target the entire family system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Combatting risk with resilience: How bicultural socialization experiences of Black immigrant-origin youth relates to well-being.

Black immigrant-origin (I-O) youth's well-being is at risk as the systemic mistreatment of Black people within the United States can be intensified by migration-related experiences (e.g., isolationism, xenophobia). These experiences were heightened by the sociopolitical events of 2020 that increased the salience of racism and xenophobia. The current study centered how Black I-O youth's negotiation of their bicultural socialization experiences impacted the ways in which they processed various social situations/contexts. Grounded theory was used to conduct secondary analysis of a sub-sample (n = 26) from qualitative interviews completed between 2020 and 2021 through The 2020 Study. Participants lived in the United States, identified as Black and I-O as part of the global African Black Diaspora (Mage = 16.73, SD = 1.08), and as 80.77% female, 7.69% gender diverse, and 11.54% male. The increased salience of racial injustice throughout 2020 uniquely positioned youth's meaning-making of their ethnic/racial identity. How youth reflected on their identity and related socialization experiences informed how they focused their attention and perceptions of socialization experiences. This connected to how youth demonstrated positive adaption (e.g., cultural pride) as forms of resilience against hyper-visible anti-Blackness throughout 2020. Youth's agentic participation aligned with indicators for positive youth development and well-being. By critically exploring the relationship between social competence, youth well-being, and bicultural socialization among Black I-O youth, the current study addressed a gap in the extant research regarding how affirming youth identity complexities can lead to building resilience to potential instances of risk (e.g., race-based trauma, acculturative stress).

Problematizing the Measurement of Gender Identity in K-12 Education Survey Research: A Systematic Review

The increase in youth’s self-identification as trans in the United States and Canada has created new urgency in schools to meet the needs of these students, yet education survey researchers have yet to find ways to assess their educational outcomes based on sex and gender. In this critical systematic review, I provide an overview of surveys from 2009–2019 that have been utilized to assess the sex and gender identity of trans youth. Findings suggest a range of measurement approaches and types of research interests, as well as important aspects that were absent from the surveys. Recommendations for those who currently or plan to engage with survey research that includes gender identity are included.

Disney boys to men: erotic gaze and masculine gender capital of former Disney boy actors

ABSTRACT This research examines the nature of gender presentation of men who were the stars on Disney Channel shows. Research has already examined how young women who were Disney stars become quickly sexualised and perceived as women under the male gaze. However, there is little corresponding research on boys who are subject to the scrutiny of the public. I engage in a phenomenological content analysis of the social media of three adult male actors who starred on the show Wizards of Waverly Place. The nature of masculine gender capital encourages these men to move towards a masculine ideal while recognising they are under the erotic gaze. These men push to be severed from their youth identities, forming a strategic boundary that nods to the homoeroticism surrounding their identity.

Fluidity in Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Identity in Transgender and Nonbinary Youth

ABSTRACT Changes in sexual orientation identity (SOI) and gender identity (GI) have rarely been studied in transgender and/or nonbinary youth (TNBY), but documenting such changes is important for understanding identity development and gender transition and supporting the needs of TNBY. This study examined the frequency and patterning of changes in GI and SOI across 3 months (T1-T2) and 1.5 years (T1-T4) among 183 TNBY (baseline age 14–17 years; 83.6% White, 16.9% Hispanic/Latinx) who participated in a longitudinal US study. Participants completed online surveys including measures of GI and SOI. The most common gender identity selected at T1 (with or without another gender identity) was nonbinary (56.3%), and more than half (57.4%) of youth identified with a plurisexual identity (e.g., bisexual, pansexual). GI fluidity from T1-T2 was 13.2% and from T1-T4 was 28.9%. It was equally common to move toward a nonbinary gender identity as toward a binary gender identity. SOI fluidity was more common (30.6% from T1-T2; 55.8% from T1-T4) than GI fluidity. Shifts toward plurisexual identities were more common than shifts toward monosexual identities (e.g., straight, gay). Findings highlight the need to assess changes in GI and SOI in research and clinical practice to address the unique needs of TNBY accurately and effectively.

A Corporate Mentoring Program Cross-Cultural Experience and the Impact on Self-Identity for Students From an Urban Community

Cross-cultural mentoring can lead to personal development through experiencing cultural differences that cultivate individual virtues and values. Culture is an aspect of self-identity. Self-identity for adolescents is important for their long-term development. This study examines a corporate mentoring program that offers a cross-cultural experience for participants. It aimed to determine if the mentoring program influenced participants’ self-identity and if there was a correlation between culture and their self-identity. The study was guided by identity control theory. A 10-question Likert scale survey was administered to the 20 urban high school students at the completion of their mentoring program for the academic year, which included nine sessions. The study found that the corporate mentoring program did impact the self-identity of urban youth; however, there was no correlation between the cross-cultural experience and their self-identity. This finding adds to the research on youth identity formation. Further research is needed on how different cultural influences may contribute to youth identity formation.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR THE FORMATION OF CIVIC IDENTITY OF STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN

The article characterizes four main organizational and pedagogical conditions, manifested in a complex combination, which ensure the formation of the civic identity of British students: 1) actualization of the student-centered approach to the educational process; 2) public engagement of student youth in socially significant activities; 3) introduction of socio-pedagogical cooperation between universities and local communities through the mediation of public organizations at the local and national levels; 4) interdisciplinary integration of English as a state language. It is outlined that a student-centered approach to the organization of the educational process in the universities of Great Britain contributes to the involvement of students in active educational and cognitive, and socially significant activities based on the cooperation of all participants in the educational process and reflection of the acquired knowledge and experience, in general, effectively influencing the formation of the civic identity of students. It is emphasized that today in the universities of Great Britain, civic engagement is integrated into three spheres – educational process, research activity and extracurricular socially significant activity. It is noted that educational activities of the universities with the involvement of the community add value to the experience of students during their higher education, providing them with a wide range of opportunities for learning in general and forming their civic identity in general. It was found that the English language plays an important role in the state differentiation of the British, as it covers with its influence not only the spiritual being of this multinational community, but also provides a sense of mutual complementarity and difference from other states. The construction and maintenance of interpersonal relations, which form the social landscape of the state, takes place in the language, which is why the English language, taking into account the subject of our research, carries out the main coordination of social actions. After all, it is common knowledge that language is the main medium for defining, preserving and transmitting socio-cultural experience, as well as a tool for objectifying the subjective meanings of the development of society. In this way, the formation of the civic identity of student youth in Great Britain is considered in close interaction with the interdisciplinary integration of the English language, since the language itself is one of the most important conditions for the existence of any social community.

Reducing negative attitudes toward older adults and increasing advocacy for policies to support older adults: Bayesian analysis approach

As the world's population is aging, it is necessary to create societies in which older adults and young people can live together comfortably. Reducing young people's negative attitudes toward older adults is a pressing issue. Given the unique characteristics of older adults, which most people will eventually become, we focused on how long people believe it will be before they become older adults (i.e., the subjective time of becoming older). To examine our hypotheses, we performed a Bayesian analysis, which has attracted considerable attention in psychological research in recent years. In Studies 1 and 2, even after controlling for variables such as youth identity and aging anxiety, those with a longer subjective time of becoming older had more negative attitudes toward older adults and lower advocacy for policies to support older adults. In Study 3, we examined the effect of shortening the participants' subjective time of becoming older by presenting an explanatory text on the stereotype embodiment theory and several related empirical findings. We observed decreased negative attitudes toward both the young-old and old-old groups and increased advocacy for policies to support older adults. In the supplemental experiment, the experimental manipulation used in Study 3 reduced participants' aging anxiety. Future studies should elaborate on the negative attitudes toward a broad subgroup of older adults, and examine the perceived relative importance of policies to support older adults compared with policies in other areas.

Liquid Youth Generation? The New Psychopathological Trajectories of the Post-Modern Society

According to Zygmunt Bauman (1999), we are living in an era dominated by a "liquid society". In the liquid society, nothing is clear, defined and fixed “once and for all”. The liquid society imposes high standards, it is highly competitive, and computerized. Obviously, this influences every aspect of life, by indeed incentivizing precarious interpersonal relationships. Our post-modern society is dominated by haste and the absence of stable ties. Within this context, adolescents and young adults should define their identity and, at the same time, should acquire the ability to flexibly redefine it, when necessary. Youth identity is forced to constantly adapt itself according to the changing society. This inevitably exposes young people to new forms of discomfort as well as psychopathologies. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview about the current state-of-the-art of the mental health status of adolescents and young adults in post-modern society, by focusing on seven major themes: digital addiction, effects of media use on behavior and mental-health, social withdrawal, alexithymia, fluid identity, not in education/employment or training people, and self-harm and suicidality.

Positive Youth Identity: The Role of Adult Social Support

Positive identity is essential to adolescents’ well-being and a successful transition to adulthood. Understanding factors that contribute to identity formation is important to promote healthy development. The present study applies the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework to explore associations between adult social support and positive identity among Norwegian high school students (N = 220, Mage = 17.30, SD = 1.12). Reflecting on the ecology of adolescence, the study examined the extent to which family, other significant adults, and school support relate to different dimensions of positive identity (personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose, and positive view of future). Further, the hierarchy of importance among the support variables was investigated. Cross-sectional data on items measuring the different dimensions of social support and positive identity were analyzed. Findings from regression analyses indicated that adult support in all three ecological contexts (family, neighborhood, and school) was significantly and positively related to positive identity and at least one of its four dimensions (β = 0.15–0.27, p < 0.05). Support from other significant adults emerged as the most important predictor, followed by family and then school support. While future research should also consider support accessed through social media, our findings extend PYD scholarship in the Norwegian context by highlighting the importance of key youth ecological contexts when fostering positive youth identity.