Since identities anchor meaning, purpose, and self-evaluation, stressors that threaten or enhance highly valued role identities exert strong effects on psychological distress. The prevalence of identity-relevant stressors vary by social status, and are shaped by size and salience of one’s identity structure, being moderated by coping and social support.
An important branch from Stress process theory.
Proposed by Peggy Thoits, in 1991.