Sense of Self and Ego Resiliency as Predictors of Psychological Distress and Adjustment

A cohesive sense of self and the ability to cope flexibly are central to psychological functioning. This study examined how ego structure (sense of self) and ego functioning (ego resiliency) relate to psychological distress and adjustment in 109 undergraduate students. Participants completed measures of sense of self, ego resiliency, distress, and an experimental adjustment scale. A coherent sense of self was strongly associated with lower distress and greater adjustment. Ego resiliency also predicted adjustment but did not uniquely predict distress once sense of self was considered. Mediation analyses indicated that ego resiliency partially mediated the link between self-structure and adjustment, and alternative models supported the role of self-structure in buffering distress. Findings suggest that ego structure anchors emotional stability, while ego resiliency supports adaptive functioning when grounded in a coherent self. Implications for developmental and psychodynamic models are discussed.