This study examined associations between parental separation anxiety, controlling parenting, and difficulties in the separation-individuation process, as manifested in separation-individuation pathology. In a sample of emerging adults involved in the process of home leaving (N = 232) and their parents, it was found that parental separation anxiety is positively related to separation-individuation pathology in emerging adults. Dependency-oriented controlling parenting served as an intervening variable in the relationship between parents' feelings of separation anxiety and pathology of the separation-individuation process in emerging adults. These associations were not moderated by emerging adults' residential status (i.e., living with parents or (semi-)independently), suggesting that parental characteristics and behaviors remain important antecedents of separation-individuation pathology even when one no longer lives in the parental household.
The objective of this study was to test our alternative interpretation of the separation-individuation hypothesis. This interpretation states that separation from the parents is not a precondition for individuation, but rather separation and individuation are two parallel processes of development during adolescence. We investigated our interpretation in two ways. Firstly, we looked at descriptive age differences in parental support and development of relational and societal identity. Secondly, we investigated the variation with age of the associations between parental support and emotional adjustment, and identity and emotional adjustment. Data of a representative Dutch sample of 2814 adolescents, aged 12-24 were used. In both cases, the findings supported our interpretation of the separation-individuation hypothesis and similar results were found in the descriptive analyses and the structural equation models. Parental support decreased with age, and so too did its association with emotional adjustment. In other words, as adolescents become older, they experience less parental support, while its importance for their emotional adjustment also declines. The opposite pattern was observed with respect to identity development: as adolescents become older, their relational and societal identity commitments develop, and the degree to which these commitments are developed also becomes more important for their emotional adjustment.
Separation Individuation (Part 1)
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Gentina E, Butori R, Heath TB. Unique but integrated: The role of individuation and assimilation processes in teen opinion leadership. Journal of Business Research. 2014;67(2). doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.11.013
Spidel A, Kealy D, Kim D, Sandhu S, Izbicki A. Dysfunctional individuation in the clinic: associations with distress and early parental responsiveness. Current Psychology. Published online April 15, 2021. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01736-1
Adolescence is marked by the most notable SI conflict between parents and children. Both parties undergo intense emotional responses to separation and loss from each other; thus, this period calls for special attention in clinical practice [8].
Since mutual identification with each other includes narcissistic object choices, the loss of the object translates to the loss of a part of oneself and thus triggers anxiety and fear. During this process, parents lose omnipotence in their relationship with their children; therefore, they (parents and children) experience anxiety and pain from separation. Father F, in our case, developed depressive symptoms due to a narcissistic injury resulting from the separation of his son S. Son S wishes to enjoy unconditional freedom; at the same time, he is anxious about taking responsibility and wants to remain complacent. They were faced with an ambivalent tension in relations caused by a clash of their separation and dependency needs in a dialectical process.
One's unique self-identity, which is separate from that of any other individual, develops through the process of individuation. Individuation is ongoing and can be considered both a goal and a lifelong process.
Adolescents continue to individuate from their parents as they move into young adulthood. They choose their own schools, friends, hobbies, careers, and travel destinations and make a number of other life choices that may be at odds with the choices of their families and/or what their families want for them. Those who have successfully individuated will likely be able to make these choices with little anxiety. However, the process of individuation may be challenging to some, for a number of reasons, and making choices that veer from family ideals and values may prove difficult. An inability to individuate, or the suppression or denial of the true self, can both cause distress and negatively impact the development of a defined sense of identity.
The process of individuation is considered essential to the development of a healthy identity and the formation of healthy relationships with others. A person who does not adequately individuate may lack a clear sense of self and feel uncomfortable pursuing goals when those goals differ from the wishes of family or significant others. Feelings of depression and anxiety may result. Difficulty individuating may also lead to increased dependence on others, challenges in romantic or professional relationships, poor decision-making skills, and a general sense of not knowing who one is or what one wants from life.
Troubled or harmful family dynamics often contribute, at least partially, to a stalled or unsuccessful individuation process. Relationships with both parents and siblings may have an impact on individuation, and the seeds of later challenges may be planted at any stage of the developmental process.
Individuals whose parents and siblings offer support and encouragement throughout the individuation process are likely to have a developed identity and sense of self and may be better able to make choices and pursue goals with little anxiety or self-doubt.
Individuation is necessary to the process of self-analysis and discovery. When the process is delayed, mental health issues and difficulties in personal life may result. Family dynamics, untreated mental health concerns, and environmental factors might all negatively impact the individuation process. Therapy can help people who are attempting to successfully individuate by helping them work through these and other concerns while allowing for the expression of aspects of the self that may not be acknowledged in other settings.
Unsuccessful individuation does not necessarily indicate the presence of a mental health condition but may be a contributing factor to the development of depression, anxiety, stress, or self-doubt. Characteristics of codependency may also develop when the individuation process is challenged. Unsuccessful individuation may also appear in the history of many individuals who are coping with borderline personality.
People seeking help with individuation often find therapy a safe place to share thoughts and feelings and express desires without worrying about judgment or societal acceptance. Mental health professionals can also help individuals explore potential reasons behind disruption of the individuation process and address any mental health issues, if they are present. In addition, a therapist can provide support as people work toward being better able to set healthy boundaries, communicate assertively, and develop other skills that allow for the expression of personal identity.
This period spans the ages of twenty-four to thirty-six months and involves all aspects of previous stages, in particular the trust and confidence of the symbiotic phase (Mahler 1972). There are advances in cognition with representational thought and the use of language. Children have an inner picture of the caretaker and their relationship with the caretaker, which has formed has formed as a result of the soothing, gratifying, and organizing functions that the caretaker provides (Tolpin 1971). Internalization is the process of recovering what has been lost in the actual relationship with the mother, so that the toddlers carry around an internal picture of a gratifying mother that is now part of their internal structure (Mahler, Pine, and Bergman 1975). The developmental achievement is an individual identity with stable internal representations of self and others. This achievement is a prerequisite for the capacity to form one-to-one relationships where separation is not abandonment and closeness does not represent engulfment.
Adolescence is a period of intense preparation for the responsibilities of adulthood. The passage into adulthood is marked by the completion of a series of developmental tasks that involve the integration of the four areas of development that society delineates as being related to maturity, that is, physiological, psychological, intellectual and sociocultural development. Two of the major tasks of this period are psychological separation-individuation and the resolution of the identity crisis. Psychological separation-individuation is the process by which the young adult renegotiates the parent-child relationship. The resolution of the identity crisis involves the synthesis of past and present, as the adolescent reintegrates the self in such a manner that allows the young adult to assume his or her place in society. Both processes are a vital part of the drive towards healthy personal adjustment. This study investigated the relationship of adolescent psychological separation-individuation and the identity formation process. Psychological separation-individuation and the identity formation process are examined for gender differences. Lastly, psychological separation-individuation and the identity formation process are examined as a function of age, gender, residence, financial status, employment and home leaving attitudes. Unmarried adolescents between the ages of 18 and 24 completed a sixteen page booklet containing three measures: the Psychological Separation Inventory (PSI); the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-2); and the Home Leaving Attitude (HLA). A significant relationship was found between specific factors of psychological separation-individuation and the identity formation process. Significant gender differences were found in the interaction of psychological separation-individuation and identity formation. Although no significant relationship was found between the variables of residence, financial status, employment and home leaving attitudes and identity formation, significant relationships were found between these variables and psychological separation-individuation. 2ff7e9595c
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