{"title":"Approaching Identity Problems Common in Clinical Practice.","authors":"John R Peteet","doi":"10.1097/HRP.0000000000000316","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The concept of identity is pervasive in psychology and culture, but clinicians have lacked a conceptual framework for addressing problems related to identity. After reviewing the development of identity, I distinguish four of the most common categories of such problems and consider approaches to each: identity diffusion, distorted identity, threats to identity, and difficulty integrating disparate aspects of one's identity. While making identity a focus of clinical attention can strengthen the alliance and place the treatment within a larger context, doing so raises moral questions about the clinician's role as an agent of validation or change.</p>","PeriodicalId":12915,"journal":{"name":"Harvard Review of Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Harvard Review of Psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000316","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract: The concept of identity is pervasive in psychology and culture, but clinicians have lacked a conceptual framework for addressing problems related to identity. After reviewing the development of identity, I distinguish four of the most common categories of such problems and consider approaches to each: identity diffusion, distorted identity, threats to identity, and difficulty integrating disparate aspects of one's identity. While making identity a focus of clinical attention can strengthen the alliance and place the treatment within a larger context, doing so raises moral questions about the clinician's role as an agent of validation or change.
期刊介绍:
The Harvard Review of Psychiatry is the authoritative source for scholarly reviews and perspectives on important topics in psychiatry. Founded by the Harvard Medical School''s Department of Psychiatry, the Harvard Review of Psychiatry features review papers that summarize and synthesize the key literature in a scholarly and clinically relevant manner. Topics covered include: Schizophrenia and related disorders; Mood disorders; Personality disorders; Substance use disorders; Anxiety; Neuroscience; Psychosocial aspects of psychiatry; Ethics; Psychiatric education; and much more.
In addition, a Clinical Challenges section presents a case with discussion from a panel of experts. Brief reviews are presented in topic-specific columns that include Cross-Cultural Psychiatry, History of Psychiatry, Ethics, and others.