Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Kelly Gorbett

Keywords

trauma, identity distress, emerging adults

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Plentiful research has been conducted to examine the negative outcomes of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Together, findings have indicated that certain exposures increase the risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and adjustment problems in children, teens, and young adults. However, few studies have specifically focused on the influence of such experiences on the development of identity distress in emerging adults, and even fewer have examined such influence in the context of exposure to multiple potentially traumatic events. Exposure to natural hazards such as the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes is known to impact economic, social, and educational outcomes, but it was unclear how such firsthand experiences impact the development of identity in this population. To address this gap in the literature, this quantitative survey study was conducted to examine the influence of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Laura, and Hurricane Delta on identity distress in emerging adult college students. Participants included 380 students enrolled at McNeese State University, who were recruited online via the SONA System. Results indicated that subsequent life stressors significantly mediated the effect of PTE exposure on identity distress, that there was significant serial mediation for subsequent life stressors and PTSS, and that the effect of PTE exposure on PTSS was significantly moderated by event centrality. These findings add to the existing literature on PTE exposure and highlight the need for additional research on adaptive factors such as meaning making and posttraumatic growth in emerging adults.

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