Identity vs role confusion

Adolescence can be a confusing time for a young person when they are thinking about who they really are and what they want to achieve in life. This is the time when they have to cope with increased pressure from their peer group and from the expectations of wider society.

Erikson proposed that there were stages in the lifespan from infancy to old age when particular challenges need to be overcome for healthy emotional and social development to occur. He saw adolescence as a time where questions such as ‘Who am I’ and ‘What am I doing here’ are common.

Adolescents begin to think about their futures and decide on careers. Here they face the challenge of identity versus role confusion. If adolescents form a plan of their future and it works out, then the outcome is positive and the establishment of identity is achieved. For those who don’t develop this, there may be longer lasting effects and they may move through life without a plan of action or sense of purpose about their future. Unresolved identity confusion may be a risk factor in the uptake of negative behaviours such as eating disorders, smoking, self-harm and substance abuse.