Aspects of identification and growth during late adolescence and young adulthood.
Psychological growth proceeds through emotional attachment and separation processes. Inhibition of emotional separation in late adolescence can result in delayed psychological differentiation and sometimes identity diffusion. Three cases of analytic psychotherapy are described, in which nonfunctional identifications and idealizations are treated, and delayed maturation resumes through the formation of new, recombinant identifications.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D007063:Identity Crisis; D007207:Individuation; D009769:Object Attachment; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011889:Rage