TransIdentity - Identity Development Among Adolescent Trans*people

Identity development is one of the most important developmental tasks of adolescence. Adolescents whose gender identity does not correspond to the gender assigned at birth (trangender people) are also faced with this challenge, as are cis-gender adolescents of the same age. This study is the first to examine the personality function of identity in transgender adolescents. Based on the self report of a population of 69 adolescents from the outpatient unit for gender dysphoria the extent of identity diffusion measured by AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) was compared with the values of the normative sample consisting of German-speaking pupils. Both the overall construct of identity diffusion and the areas of continuity and coherence showed average values in the examined young people, which speaks against pathological identity development. Nevertheless, identity diffusion was found in over a third (36 %). Most notably the aspect of stabilising relationships and roles was above average, which suggests that positive role identification from the areas of culture, family and body-self is present to a lesser extent than in the norm sample. The identity-stabilizing feeling of social anchoring appears to be impaired in the young transidents studied.