Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self, Identity, Stress, and Mental Health

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

This chapter explores the many ways in which people’s self-conceptions are involved in the stress process. The appraisal of stressors’ magnitude and thus their impacts on mental health may depend on whether or not they occur in a highly valued role-identity domain. Changes in self-esteem mediate the damaging impacts of stressors on individuals’ mental health, including the impacts of stigma-related rejection and discrimination. The stress-buffering effects of social support may be attributable to the self-esteem boosts people obtain from their supporters. Persons with high self-esteem are more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies, which are effective in reducing distress when circumstances are actually controllable. One major way of coping with adversity in a particular social role is to de-emphasize the importance of the role as an identity or as a source of self-evaluation, softening the distressing effects of role-related stressors. Self/identity factors are complexly involved in the stress process; understanding the complexities is key to developing powerful interventions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Manic and hypomanic episodes (aspects of bipolar disorder) and narcissistic personality disorder, on the other hand, include states of inflated self-esteem or grandiosity. Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, and Vohs (2003) argue compellingly that high self-esteem is not always a good thing.

  2. 2.

    Readers interested a detailed history of self and identity terms, variations in their meanings, and their roles in theory will find Weigert et al. (1986) a valuable source.

  3. 3.

    Self-esteem is only moderately correlated with others’ evaluations (e.g., May, 1991) for two reasons. First, we tend to perceive others’ opinions of us through rose-colored glasses (e.g., O’Connor & Dyce, 1993), which weakens the association between our own self-regard and others’ true evaluations. Second, we can assess our abilities or worth independently through social comparison processes (e.g., Gecas & Schwalbe, 1983; Suls & Wills, 1991); others’ evaluative feedback may not match our own assessments of our relative ability or worth.

  4. 4.

    Hence, our socially based selves/identities and our reflected self-esteem motivate conformity—sustaining and perpetuating the social order. However, the potential for unpredictability, creativity, and deviance is always present in the “I” aspect of the self (Blumer, 1969).

  5. 5.

    One must be careful with this strategy because a person’s current psychological state can influence his subjective reports about the events and difficulties in his life; his stress appraisals may be a product of the very outcome (his psychological state) that the researcher is attempting to explain.

  6. 6.

    Stryker argues that identity commitment in turn determines identity salience, which in his theory refers not to importance but to the likelihood that an individual will call up a particular identity when he or she has freedom of choice, for example, when introducing himself/herself to someone new or when spending leisure time.

  7. 7.

    Changes in identities are less commonly examined as intervening variables perhaps because identity losses are stressors and because weakened allegiance to an existing stress-filled identity can be understood as a coping strategy (Breakwell, 1986).

  8. 8.

    Other coping resources include hardiness, a sense of coherence, Type A characteristics such as impatience and hostility, and optimism (for reviews, see Carver, Scheier, Miller, & Fulford, 2009; Cohen & Edwards, 1989; Rodin & Salovey, 1989; Scheier & Carver, 1992).

  9. 9.

    In contrast, symbolic interactionist theorists almost always presume the dominance of self-enhancement motives (i.e., they presume that individuals prefer positive feedback about themselves over feedback that is consistent with their existing self-images).

  10. 10.

    Although increased commitment may enable individuals to persist in the face of adversity, investigators have not yet assessed the psychological consequences of greater commitment combined with thwarted efforts to overcome problems.

References

  • Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Alloy, L. B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review, 96, 358–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahrens, C. J. C., & Ryff, C. D. (2006). Multiple roles and well-being: Sociodemographic and psychological moderators. Sex Roles, 55, 801–815.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1992). Modeling cognitive adaptation: A longitudinal investigation of the impact of individual differences and coping on college adjustment and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 989–1003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1997). A stitch in time: Self-regulation and proactive coping. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 417–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Avison, W. R., & Turner, R. J. (1988). Stressful life events and depressive symptoms: Disaggregating the effects of acute stressors and chronic strains. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 29, 253–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, R. C., & Hyde, J. S. (2001). Women, men, work, and family: An expansionist theory. American Psychologist, 56, 781–796.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 1–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belle, D. (1982). The stress of caring: Women as providers of social support. In L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects (pp. 496–505). New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkman, L. F., Glass, T., Brissette, I., & Seeman, T. E. (2000). From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Social Science & Medicine, 51, 843–857.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bielby, W. T., & Bielby, D. D. (1989). Family ties: Balancing commitments to work and family in dual earner households. American Sociological Review, 54, 776–789.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breakwell, G. M. (1986). Coping with threatened identities. London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brondolo, E., ver Halen, N. B., Pencille, M., Beatty, D., & Contrada, R. J. (2009). Coping with racism: A selective review of the literature and a theoretical and methodological critique. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32, 64–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W. (1989). Life events and measurement. In G. W. Brown & T. O. Harris (Eds.), Life events and illness (pp. 3–45). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Bifulco, A., & Harris, T. O. (1987). Life events, vulnerability and onset of depression: Some refinements. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 30–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Craig, T. K., & Harris, T. O. (1985). Depression: Distress or disease? Some epidemiological considerations. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 612–622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (1978). Social origins of depression: A study of psychiatric disorder in women. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (Eds.). (1989). Life events and illness. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. D., & McGill, K. L. (1989). The cost of good fortune: When positive life events produce negative health consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1103–1110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T. N., Williams, D. R., Jackson, J. S., Neighbors, H. W., Torres, M., Sellers, S. L., et al. (2000). “Being Black and feeling blue”: The mental health consequences of racial discrimination. Race and Society, 2, 117–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, P. J. (1996). Social identities and psychosocial stress. In H. B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Perspectives on structure, theory, life-course, and methods (pp. 141–174). San Diego, CA: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, D., & Friedman, M. A. (2005). Is obesity stigmatizing? Body weight, perceived discrimination, and psychological well-being in the United States. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46, 244–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., Miller, C. J., & Fulford, D. (2009). Optimism. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 303–311). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (1995). The body, identity, and self: Adapting to impairment. The Sociological Quarterly, 36, 657–680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S. (2004). Social relationships and health. American Psychologist, 59, 676–684.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Edwards, J. R. (1989). Personality characteristics as moderators of the relationship between stress and disorder. In R. W. J. Neufeld (Ed.), Advances in the investigation of psychological stress (pp. 235–283). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Hoberman, H. M. (1983). Positive events and social supports as buffers of life change stress. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 13, 99–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., & Miller, G. E. (2007). Psychological stress and disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 298, 1685–1687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. M. (1991). Stress and infectious disease in humans. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 5–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human nature and the social order. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. L. (Ed.). (2005). Handbook of stress medicine and health (2nd ed.). London: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corrigan, P. W., Watson, A. C., & Barr, L. (2006). The self-stigma of mental illness: Implications for self-esteem and self-efficacy. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25, 875–884.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crocker, J., & Major, B. (1989). Social stigma and self-esteem: The self-protective properties of stigma. Psychological Review, 96, 608–630.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGarmo, D. S., & Kitson, G. C. (1996). Identity relevance and disruption as predictors of psychological distress for widowed and divorced women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 58, 983–997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. P., Raphael, K. G., Schwartz, S., Stueve, A., & Skodol, A. (1993). The structured event probe and narrative rating method for measuring stressful life events. In L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects (pp. 174–199). New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuBois, D. L., Felner, R. D., Sherman, M. D., & Bull, C. A. (1994). Socioenvironmental experiences, self-esteem, and emotional/behavioral problems in early adolescence. American Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 371–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebaugh, H. R. F. (1988). Becoming an ex: The process of role exit. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S. (1984). Personal control and stress and coping processes: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 839–852.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Gruen, R. J., & DeLongis, A. (1986). Appraisal, coping, health status, and psychological symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 571–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, J. R. P., Rodgers, W., & Cobb, S. (1974). A model of person-environment fit. In G. V. Coelho, D. A. Hamburg, & J. E. Adams (Eds.), Coping and adaptation (pp. 316–333). New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (1933). New introductory lectures on psycho-analysis. New York: W. W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frone, M. R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M. L. (1995). Job stressors, job involvement, and employee health: A test of identity theory. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 68, 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gecas, V., & Burke, P. J. (1995). Self and identity. In K. S. Cook, G. A. Fine, & J. S. House (Eds.), Sociological perspectives on social psychology (pp. 41–67). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gecas, V., & Schwalbe, M. L. (1983). Beyond the looking-glass self: Social structure and efficacy-based self-esteem. Social Psychology Quarterly, 46, 77–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gecas, V., & Seff, M. A. (1990). Social class and self-esteem: Psychological centrality, compensation, and the relative effects of work and home. Social Psychology Quarterly, 53, 165–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gee, G. C., Spencer, M., Chen, J., Yip, T., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2007). The association between self-reported racial discrimination and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders among Asian Americans nationwide. Social Science & Medicine, 64, 1984–1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gore, S., Aseltine, R. H., Jr., & Colten, M. E. (1993). Gender, social-relational involvement, and depression. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 3, 101–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gove, W. R. (1984). Gender differences in mental and physical illness: The effects of fixed roles and nurturant roles. Social Science & Medicine, 19, 77–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberger, E., & O’Neil, R. (1993). Spouse, parent, worker: Role commitments and role-related experiences in the construction of adults’ well-being. Developmental Psychology, 2, 181–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C. (2005). Stress and depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 293–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C., Marks, T., deMayo, R., & Mayol, A. (1985). Self-schemas and risk for depression: A prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 1147–1159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C., Marks, T., Mayol, A., & deMayo, R. (1985). Depressive self-schemas, life stress, and vulnerability to depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 94, 308–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1986). Processes underlying the construction, maintenance, and enhancement of the self-concept in children. In J. M. Suls & A. G. Greenwald (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on the self (Vol. 3, pp. 136–181). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1987). The determinants and mediational role of global self-worth in children. In N. Eisenberg (Ed.), Contemporary topics in developmental psychology (pp. 219–242). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hays, R. D., Marshall, G. N., Wang, E. Y. I., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1994). Four-year cross-lagged associations between physical and mental health in the medical outcomes study. Special section: Structural equation modeling in clinical research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 441–449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayward, P., Wong, G., Bright, J. A., & Lam, D. (2002). Stigma and self-esteem in manic depression: An exploratory study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 69, 61–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, P. B., & Mustillo, S. (2001). I am woman: The impact of social identities on African American women’s mental health. Women & Health, 32, 33–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, W. (1950). The principles of psychology (Vol. 1). Mineola, NY: Dover (Original work published 1890).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, J. H., & Carpenter-Song, E. (2005). The new paradigm of recovery from schizophrenia: Cultural conundrums of improvement without cure. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 29, 379–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaniasty, K., & Norris, F. H. (1993). How general is the cost of good fortune? Attempting to replicate Brown and McGill (1989). Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 8, 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, H. B., Johnson, R. J., & Bailey, C. A. (1986). Self-rejection and the explanation of deviance: Refinement and elaboration of a latent structure. Social Psychology Quarterly, 49, 110–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, H. B., Robbins, C., & Martin, S. S. (1983a). Antecedents of psychological distress in young adults: Self-rejection, deprivation of social support, and life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 230–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, H. B., Robbins, C., & Martin, S. S. (1983b). Toward the testing of a general theory of deviant behavior in longitudinal perspective: Patterns of psychopathology. Research in Community and Mental Health, 3, 27–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., & Essex, M. (1982). Marital status and depression: The importance of coping resources. Social Forces, 61, 484–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., & McLeod, J. D. (1984). Sex differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events. American Sociological Review, 49, 620–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Mickelson, K. D., & Williams, D. R. (1999). The prevalence, distribution, and mental health correlates of perceived discrimination in the United States. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 208–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Turner, J. B., & House, J. S. (1988). Effects of unemployment on health in a community survey: Main, modifying, and mediating effects. Journal of Social Issues, 44, 69–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiecolt, K. J. (1994). Stress and the decision to change oneself: A theoretical model. Social Psychology Quarterly, 57, 49–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kikuzawa, S. (2006). Multiple roles and mental health in cross-cultural perspective: The elderly in the United States and Japan. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 47, 62–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleim, B., Vauth, R., Adam, G., Stieglitz, R.-D., Hayward, P., & Corrigan, P. (2008). Perceived stigma predicts low self-efficacy and poor coping in schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Health, 17, 482–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N. (1987). Life stress, social support, and self-esteem in an elderly population. Psychology and Aging, 2, 349–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N. (1991). Financial strain and psychological well-being among the American and Japanese elderly. Psychology and Aging, 6, 170–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N. (1995). Stress, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms in later life. Gerontologist, 35, 296–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N., & Borawski-Clark, E. (1994). Clarifying the functions of social support in later life. Research on Aging, 16, 251–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, R. M. (2005). Resilience against discrimination: Ethnic identity and other-group orientation as protective factors for Korean Americans. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 36–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, L. H. (1970). Conceptions of personality: Theories and research. New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, N., & Ensel, W. M. (1989). Life stress and health: Stressors and resources. American Sociological Review, 54, 382–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G. (1987). Understanding labeling effects in the area of mental disorders: An assessment of the effects of expectations of rejection. American Sociological Review, 52, 96–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B., Castille, D. M., & Stuber, J. (2008). Stigma and coercion in the context of outpatient treatment for people with mental illnesses. Social Science & Medicine, 67, 409–419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., Cullen, F. T., Struening, E., Shrout, P. E., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (1989). A modified labeling theory approach to mental disorders: An empirical assessment. American Sociological Review, 54, 400–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., Struening, E. L., Neese-Todd, S., Asmussen, S., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). Stigma as a barrier to recovery: The consequences of stigma for the self-esteem of people with mental illnesses. Psychiatric Services, 52, 1621–1626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., Struening, E. L., Neese-Todd, S., Asmussen, S., & Phelan, J. C. (2002). On describing and seeking to change the experience of stigma. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6, 201–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Link, B. G., Struening, E. L., Rahav, M., Phelan, J. C., & Nuttbrock, L. (1997). On stigma and its consequences: Evidence from a longitudinal study of men with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 177–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luchetta, T. (1995). Parental and work role salience, everyday problems, and distress: A prospective analysis of specific vulnerability among multiple-role women. Women & Health, 22, 21–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lydon, J. E., & Zanna, M. P. (1990). Commitment in the face of adversity: A value-affirmation approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 1040–1047.

    Google Scholar 

  • Major, B., & Eccleston, C. P. (2005). Stigma and social exclusion. In D. Abrams, M. A. Hogg, & J. M. Marques (Eds.), The social psychology of inclusion and exclusion (pp. 63–87). New York: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Major, B., & O’Brien, L. T. (2005). The social psychology of stigma. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 393–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. G., Jr., & Wells, K. B. (1992). The effects of psychological distress and psychological well-being on use of medical services. Medical Care, 30, 541–553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcussen, K. (2006). Identities, self-esteem, and psychological distress: A test of identity-discrepancy theory. Sociological Perspectives, 49, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcussen, K., Ritter, C., & Safron, D. J. (2004). The role of identity salience and commitment in the stress process. Sociological Perspectives, 47, 289–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markowitz, F. E. (1998). The effects of stigma on the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of persons with mental illness. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 39, 335–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markowitz, F. E. (2001). Modeling processes of recovery from mental illness: Relationships between symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-concept. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42, 64–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martire, L. M., Stephens, M. A. P., & Townsend, A. L. (2000). Centrality of women’s multiple roles: Beneficial and detrimental consequences for psychological well-being. Psychology and Aging, 15, 148–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattlin, J. A., Wethington, E., & Kessler, R. C. (1990). Situational determinants of coping and coping effectiveness. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 31, 103–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, B. A. (1991). The interaction between ratings of self, peers’ perceptions, and reflexive self-ratings. Journal of Social Psychology, 131, 483–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCall, G. J., & Simmons, J. L. (1978). Identities and interactions: An examination of human associations in everyday life. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menaghan, E. (1982). Measuring coping effectiveness: A panel analysis of marital problems and coping efforts. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 23, 220–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menaghan, E. (1983). Individual coping efforts: Moderators of the relationship between life stress and mental health outcomes. In H. B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Trends in theory and research (pp. 157–191). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menaghan, E. G., & Merves, E. S. (1984). Coping with occupational problems: The limits of individual efforts. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 25, 406–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, I. H. (1995). Minority stress and mental health in gay men. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 38–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, M. L., Moen, P., & Dempster-McClain, D. (1991). Motherhood, multiple roles, and maternal well-being: Women of the 1950s. Gender and Society, 5, 565–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. E. (2003). Social causes of psychological distress (2nd ed.). New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moen, P., Dempster-McClain, D., & Williams, R. M., Jr. (1992). Successful aging: A life-course perspective on women’s multiple roles and health. The American Journal of Sociology, 97, 1612–1638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mossakowski, K. N. (2003). Coping with perceived discrimination: Does ethnic identity protect mental health? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44, 318–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noh, S., Beiser, M., Kaspar, V., Hou, F., & Rummens, J. (1999). Perceived racial discrimination, depression, and coping: A study of Southeast Asian refugees in Canada. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 193–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, R. J., & Swann, W. B. (2009). Self-verification 360°: Illuminating the light and dark sides. Self and Identity, 8, 131–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, B. P., & Dyce, J. (1993). Appraisals of musical ability in bar bands: Identifying the weak link in the looking-glass self chain. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 14, 69–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oatley, K., & Bolton, W. (1985). A social-cognitive theory of depression in reaction to life events. Psychological Review, 92, 372–388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orth, U., Robins, R. W., & Meier, L. L. (2009). Disentangling the effects of low self-esteem and stressful events on depression: Findings from three longitudinal studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 307–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, C. L. (2010). Making sense of the meaning literature: An integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 257–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, C. L., & Folkman, S. (1997). Meaning in the context of stress and coping. Review of General Psychology, 1, 115–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, C. L., Folkman, S., & Bostrom, A. (2001). Appraisals of controllability and coping in caregivers and HIV  +  men: Testing the goodness-of-fit hypothesis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69, 481–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M. A., & Mullan, J. T. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22, 337–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978). The structure of coping. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19, 2–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pietromonaco, P. R., Manis, J., & Frohardt-Lane, K. (1986). Psychological consequences of multiple social roles. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 10, 373–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reilly, N. P. (1994). Exploring a paradox: Commitment as a moderator of the stressor-burnout relationship. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 24, 397–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reissman, C. K. (1990). Divorce talk: Women and men make sense of personal relationships. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Repetti, R. L., & Crosby, F. (1984). Gender and depression: Exploring the adult-role explanation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2, 57–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodin, J., & Salovey, P. (1989). Health psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 40, 533–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1981). The self-concept: Social product and social force. In M. Rosenberg & R. H. Turner (Eds.), Social psychology: Sociological perspectives (pp. 593–624). New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, B. C. (1981). Mattering: Inferred significance and mental health among adolescents. Research in Community and Mental Health, 2, 163–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M., Schooler, C., & Schoenbach, C. (1989). Self-esteem and adolescent problems: Modeling reciprocal effects. American Sociological Review, 54, 1004–1018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M., Schooler, C., Schoenbach, C., & Rosenberg, F. (1995). Global self-esteem and specific self-esteem: Different concepts, different outcomes. American Sociological Review, 60, 141–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfield, S. (1997). Labeling mental illness: The effects of received services and perceived stigma on life satisfaction. American Sociological Review, 62, 660–672.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, C. E., & Mirowsky, J. (1989). Explaining the social patterns of depression: Control and problem solving–or support and talking? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 30, 206–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1992). Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 201–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, R. M., Caldwell, C. H., Schmeelk-Cone, K. H., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2003). Racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress among African American young adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44, 302–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, R. M., Copeland-Linder, N., Martin, P. P., & Lewis, R. L. (2006). Racial identity matters: The relationship between racial discrimination and psychological functioning in African American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16, 187–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, R. M., & Shelton, J. N. (2003). The role of racial identity in perceived racial discrimination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1079–1092.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shamir, B. (1986). Self-esteem and the psychological impact of unemployment. Social Psychology Quarterly, 49, 61–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu, M., & Pelham, B. W. (2004). The unconscious cost of good fortune: Implicit and explicit self-esteem, positive life events, and health. Health Psychology, 23, 101–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sieber, S. D. (1974). Toward a theory of role accumulation. American Sociological Review, 39, 567–578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. W. (1992). Parental role strains, salience of parental identity and gender differences in psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 33, 25–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. W. (1995). Gender, multiple roles, role meaning, and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 182–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. W. (1997). The meanings individuals attach to role identities and their implications for mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 256–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skaff, M. M., & Pearlin, L. I. (1992). Caregiving: Role engulfment and the loss of self. Gerontologist, 32, 656–664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stryker, S. (1980). Symbolic interactionism: A social structural version. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin/Cummings.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stryker, S., & Serpe, R. T. (1982). Commitment, identity salience, and role behavior: Theory and research example. In W. J. Ickes & E. S. Knowles (Eds.), Personality, roles, and social behavior (pp. 199–218). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suls, J. M., & Wills, T. A. (Eds.). (1991). Social comparison: Contemporary theory and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swann, W. B., Jr. (1997). The trouble with change: Self-verification and allegiance to the self. Psychological Science, 8, 177–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swann, W. B., Jr., & Brown, J. D. (1990). From self to health: Self-verification and identity disruption. In B. R. Sarason, I. G. Sarason, & G. R. Pierce (Eds.), Social support: An interactional view (pp. 150–172). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swann, W. B., Jr., Wenzlaff, R. M., Krull, D. S., & Pelham, B. W. (1992). Allure of negative feedback: Self-verification strivings among depressed persons. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101, 293–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swann, W. B., Jr., Wenzlaff, R. M., & Tafarodi, R. W. (1992). Depression and the search for negative evaluations: More evidence of the role of self-verification strivings. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101, 314–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Symister, P., & Friend, R. (2003). The influence of social support and problematic support on optimism and depression in chronic illness: A prospective study evaluating self-esteem as a mediator. Health Psychology, 22, 123–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E., & Aspinwall, L. G. (1996). Mediating and moderating processes in psychosocial stress: Appraisal, coping, resistance, and vulnerability. In H. B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Perspectives on structure, theory, life-course, and methods (pp. 71–110). San Diego, CA: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E., & Stanton, A. L. (2007). Coping resources, coping processes, and mental health. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 3, 377–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1983a). Dimensions of life events that influence psychological distress: An evaluation and synthesis of the literature. In H. B. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Trends in theory and research (pp. 33–103). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1983b). Multiple identities and psychological well-being: A reformulation and test of the social isolation hypothesis. American Sociological Review, 48, 174–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1986). Multiple identities: Examining gender and marital status differences in distress. American Sociological Review, 51, 259–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1987). Gender and marital status differences in control and distress: Common stress versus unique stress explanations. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 28, 7–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1991). On merging identity theory and stress research. Social Psychology Quarterly, 54, 101–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1992). Identity structures and psychological well-being: Gender and marital status comparisons. Social Psychology Quarterly, 55, 236–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1994). Stressors and problem-solving: The individual as psychological activist. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 35, 143–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1995). Identity-relevant events and psychological symptoms: A cautionary tale. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 72–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (2003). Personal agency in the accumulation of multiple role-identities. In P. J. Burke, T. J. Owens, R. T. Serpe, & P. A. Thoits (Eds.), Advances in identity theory and research (pp. 179–194). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (2006). Personal agency in the stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 47, 309–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (2010). Compensatory coping with stressors. In W. R. Avison, C. S. Aneshensel, S. Schieman, & B. Wheaton (Eds.), Advances in the conceptualization of the stress process: Essays in honor of Leonard I. Pearlin (pp. 23–34). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (2011a). Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52, 145–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (2011b). Resisting the stigma of mental illness. Social Psychology Quarterly, 74, 6–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A., & Virshup, L. K. (1997). Me’s and we’s: Forms and functions of social identities. In R. D. Ashmore & L. Jussim (Eds.), Self and identity: Fundamental issues (Vol. 1, pp. 106–133). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, V. L. S. (1996). Perceived experiences of racism as stressful life events. Community Mental Health Journal, 32, 223–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J. (2003). The pursuit of socially modifiable contingencies in mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., & Avison, W. R. (1989). Gender and depression: Assessing exposure and vulnerability to life events in a chronically strained population. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 177, 443–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., & Avison, W. R. (2003). Status variations in stress exposure: Implications for the interpretation of research on race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44, 488–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., & Lloyd, D. A. (1999). The stress process and the social distribution of depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 374–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., & Lloyd, D. A. (2003). Cumulative adversity and drug dependence in young adults: Racial/ethnic contrasts. Addiction, 98, 305–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., & Roszell, P. (1994). Psychosocial resources and the stress process. In W. R. Avison & I. H. Gotlib (Eds.), Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future (pp. 179–210). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. J., Wheaton, B., & Lloyd, D. A. (1995). The epidemiology of social stress. American Sociological Review, 60, 104–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uchino, B. N. (2004). Social support and physical health: Understanding the health consequences of relationships. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umberson, D., Wortman, C. B., & Kessler, R. C. (1992). Widowhood and depression: Explaining long-term gender differences in vulnerability. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 33, 10–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wahl, O. F. (1999). Mental health consumers’ experience of stigma. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 25, 467–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weigert, A. J., Teitge, J. S., & Teitge, D. W. (1986). Society and identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheaton, B. (1990a). Life transitions, role histories, and mental health. American Sociological Review, 55, 209–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheaton, B. (1990b). Where work and family meet: Stress across social roles. In J. Eckenrode & S. Gore (Eds.), Stress between work and family (pp. 153–174). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. R., Neighbors, H. W., & Jackson, J. S. (2003). Racial/ethnic discrimination and health: Findings from community studies. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 200–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. V., Heimpel, S. A., Newby-Clark, I. R., & Ross, M. (2005). Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: Self-esteem differences in the experience and anticipation of success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 764–780.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wortman, C. B., & Silver, R. C. (1987). Coping with irrevocable loss. In G. R. VandenBos & B. K. Bryant (Eds.), Cataclysms, crises, and catastrophes: Psychology in action (pp. 189–235). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, E. R., Gronfein, W. P., & Owens, T. J. (2000). Deinstitutionalization, social rejection, and the self-esteem of former mental patients. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41, 68–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanos, P. T., Roe, D., Markus, K., & Lysaker, P. H. (2008). Pathways between internalized stigma and outcomes related to recovery in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Psychiatric Services, 59, 1437–1442.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, 744 Ballantine Hall, 1020 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Peggy A. Thoits

Authors
  1. Peggy A. Thoits
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peggy A. Thoits .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Carol S. Aneshensel

  2. Department of Sociomedical Sciences Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Jo C. Phelan

  3. Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Alex Bierman

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Thoits, P.A. (2013). Self, Identity, Stress, and Mental Health. In: Aneshensel, C.S., Phelan, J.C., Bierman, A. (eds) Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation