Emerging Adults in the Military and College: An Examination of Group Differences in Identity Development, Transdiagnostic Processes, and Attitudes Toward Risk and Suicide

Little is known about how US military members experience emerging adulthood. The present study compared college-aged military members to college students regarding their experiences of emerging adulthood, foreclosed identity, attitudes toward risk, attitudes toward suicide, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation. Correlations between the variables among military members and college students were also examined. Utilizing an online survey, 140 participants (67 military members, 73 college students) who were recruited via Amazon’s Mturk completed self-report measures including: Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood; Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-Revised Version; Attitude Toward Suicide Measure; Attitudes Towards Risk Questionnaire; Distress Tolerance Scale; and Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale. Findings are discussed and suggest identity development in military personnel during the college-age years differs from that of college students. Implications of identity development among military members are discussed and warrant further exploration.