青少年自我認同與身心健康：認同重要性、認同確定性、及認同落差之功能

Adolescent Self-Identity and Mental Health: The Function of Identity Importance, Identity Firmness, and Identity Discrepancy

Erik Erikson主張「自我認同」為青少年期的主要發展要務，並認為認同概念可解釋心理病理的發展。本研究承襲Erikson之理論，藉「認同重要性」與「認同確定性」的構念探討青少年之心理健康。「認同重要性」由Chen, Lay, and Wu（2005）根據Cheek（1989）對於認同需求的實徵測量方法與對認同面向的區分，而設計出對個人、社會、與形象認同需求之測量。「認同確定性」源自Erikson所強調認同的連續性與同一性，而由Chen et al.（2005）發展個體對於認同同一感之確定程度的測量，亦區分為個人、社會、形象認同三個面向。此外，本研究另提出「認同重要性」與「認同確定性」之落差概念，並主張「認同落差」可預測心理健康。研究一（N=203）採用「已知群體法」，比較「健康控制組」（N=85）與「身心疾病組」（N=56）的大學生在以上三種認同指標上的差異。結果顯示「認同確定性」與「認同落差」的組間差異達到顯著。研究一進一步以迴歸分析檢視「認同落差」的涵意，結果發現雖「認同落差」對於「身心症狀量表」之預測力較「認同重要性」佳，但卻與「認同確定性」無異。此外，認同重要性與身心症狀指標在身心疾病組為正相關，在健康控制組卻為負相關。研究二（N=185）重複檢驗研究一的結果，比較「健康控制組」（N=65）與「神經官能症組」（N=56）的大學生在以上三種認同指標上的差異。結果仍顯示「認同確定性」與「認同落差」的組間差異達到顯著。迴歸分析的結果則發現，「認同落差」對於以SCL-90R為測量工具之十項心理疾病指標之預測力較「認同重要性」為佳且亦幾乎皆較「認同確定性」佳。此外，認同重要性與SCL-90R之GSI指標在神經官能症組為正相關，在健康控制組卻為負相關。整體而言，本研究指出認同確定性與認同落差對身心健康之正、負向預測力，而認同重要性在健康個體與適應不良的個體中，可能分別扮演正面與負面的不同角色。但在認同重要性與確定性同為低分的受試者中，認同落差的作用方式及其與身心健康的關係，則仍需於未來研究中進一步探討。

This study examines how three features of self-identity, namely, identity importance, identity firmness, and identity discrepancy, are related to adolescent mental health. In Study 1 (N = 203), college students designated as the healthy-control group (N = 85) demonstrated higher identity firmness and lower identity discrepancy than those designated as the psychosomatic group (N = 56). Three multiple regression analyses indicated that identity discrepancy was a better predictor of psychosomatic reactions than identity importance, yet its predictability did not differ from identity firmness. Findings of Study 1 were replicated in Study 2 (N = 185). Another group of college students designated as the healthy-control group (N = 65) demonstrated higher identity firmness and lower identity discrepancy than those designated as the neurosis group (N = 56). Study 2 also indicated that identity discrepancy was a better predictor than identity firmness for almost all of the subscales included in the SCL-90R. The present study concluded that the newly developed concept of identity discrepancy" offers a unique view for understanding adolescent mental health, provided that the individual is not at a state of both low identity importance and low identity firmness.