Variation in narrative identity is associated with trajectories of mental health over several years
| Autor: | Ariana F. Turner, Dan P. McAdams, Jonathan M. Adler, Thomas F. Oltmanns, Kathryn M. Brookshier, Casey Monahan, Ilana Walder-Biesanz, Michelle Albaugh, Luke H. Harmeling |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Self-assessment Self-Assessment Sociology and Political Science Social Psychology Health Status Self-concept Personal Satisfaction Disease PsycINFO Narrative identity Article Surveys and Questionnaires Agency (sociology) Humans Narrative Longitudinal Studies Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Narration Middle Aged Mental health Self Concept Mental Health Female Psychology Social psychology Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 108:476-496 |
| ISSN: | 1939-1315 0022-3514 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/a0038601 |
| Popis: | This paper presents two longitudinal studies designed to assess the relationship between variability in narrative identity and trajectories of mental health over several years. In Study 1, core scenes from 89 late-mid-life adults’ life stories were assessed for several narrative themes. Participants’ mental health and physical health were assessed concurrently with the narratives and once a year for the subsequent four years. Concurrent analyses indicated that the themes of agency, redemption, and contamination were significantly associated with mental (but not physical) health. Longitudinal analyses indicated that these same three themes were significantly associated with participants’ trajectories of mental health over the course of four years. Exploratory analyses indicated that narratives of challenging experiences may be central to this pattern of results. In Study 2, similar longitudinal analyses were conducted on a sample of 27 late-mid-life adults who received a major physical illness diagnosis between the baseline assessment and six months later and a matched sample of 27 control participants who remained healthy throughout the study. Participants’ mental health and physical health were assessed every six months for two years. In this tightly controlled study, the themes of agency, communion, redemption, and contamination in participants’ life narratives collected at Baseline (before any participant got sick) were significantly positively associated with mental health in the group of participants who went on to receive a medical diagnosis, but not in the control group. Taken together, the results of these two studies indicate that the way an individual constructs personal narratives may impact his or her trajectory of mental health over time. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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