Self-Differentiation: An Exploratory Study of Its Effects on Mental Health
Abstract
Self-differentiation is a psychological construct that has been found to be associated with mental health and well-being. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of self-differentiation on mental health in a sample of college students. Participants (N = 124) completed measures of self-differentiation and mental health, and self-differentiation was found to have a significant positive association with mental health. Results suggest that self-differentiation may be beneficial in promoting mental health in college students.
Keywords: self-differentiation, mental health, college students
Introduction
Self-differentiation is a psychological construct that has been defined as the ability to maintain one’s sense of self and autonomy while engaging in meaningful relationships (Tomlinson, 2007). It is believed to be an important factor in mental health and well-being, as it enables individuals to maintain their autonomy and stay true to their values and needs while also being connected to others (Tomlinson, 2007). Self-differentiation has been found to be associated with psychological and physical health (Tomlinson, 2007; Wagner & Watson, 2018), as well as self-esteem (Tomlinson, 2007). The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of self-differentiation on mental health in a sample of college students.
Method
Participants
Participants (N = 124) were college students enrolled in psychology courses at a large, public university in the southeastern United States. The sample was composed of 56.5% females, 43.5% males, and the average age was 19.7 years (SD = 1.6).
Measures
Self-differentiation was measured using the Differentiation of Self-Inventory (DSI; Wagner & Watson, 2018), a 25-item self-report measure of self-differentiation. Participants responded to the items on a five-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The DSI has been found to have adequate reliability and validity (Wagner & Watson, 2018). Mental health was measured using the Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Lipp, 1996), a 24-item self-report measure of mental health. Participants responded to the items on a five-point Likert scale, from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent). The MHI has been found to have adequate reliability and validity (Lipp, 1996).
Results
The results of the study indicated that self-differentiation was significantly and positively associated with mental health (r = .34, p