Identity Development and Well-being: A Systematic Review

Abstract

According to Erikson, identity development is a crucial psychosocial task. This study set out to systematically review the literature on identity development and well-being, to better understand the relationship between well-being and identity processes. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Searches were conducted across Web of Knowledge, Proquest, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, and reference lists of the
included studies (1990–2024). Independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts and conducted full-text assessment. A number of 10 studies met the predetermined inclusion criteria. Analysis of findings from the systematic literature review revealed that high identity commitment is related to identity development. Inconsistent findings with indepth exploration are reported, but empirical research in this area is limited. The links between identity development and well-being are not completely clear. The possible intermediate factors that could determine the relationship between identity development and well-being are discussed. Further empirical research is needed in this area.