摘要：In face of COVID-19 pandemics, young adults may be among those the most affected by the restrictions. The national lockdown, forbidden public (and personal) social events, restricted the opportunities of socialization, and, possibly, the possibilities to explore identity choices and move towards the integrated self. In the current study, we aimed to explore the links between COVID-19- related stressors and identity processes. Method: In total, 1269 university students aged 18-29 participated in the cross-sectional study. The short form of the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS; Luyckx et al., 2008) was used to assess the levels of five identity processes, in particular, four positive identity processes, that is, Exploration in Breadth, Commitment Making, Exploration in Depth, and Identification with Commitment; and negative identity process, that is, Ruminative Exploration. The COVID-19-related distress was measured with five items, representing the levels of burden young adults experienced due to restriction measures as well as impaired health of their own and their loved ones. Results: The results indicated that overall COVID-19-related distress as well as negative effects of restrictions and impaired health were negatively related to identification with commitment and positively linked with ruminative exploration. However, we also found that higher levels of COVID-19-related distress are positively related to exploration in depth. Surprisingly, we did not find the links between COVID-19-related distress and exploration in breadth. The longitudinal links between COVID-19-related distress and identity processes should be explored in future research. Conclusions: The study highlights that COVID-19- related distress may contribute to the negative identity development of young adults.
