Identity Disorder of Childhood

A disorder that is characterized by severe emotional distress on the part of children or adolescents regarding their inability to reconcile aspects of the self into a relatively coherent and acceptable sense of self. Affected individuals demonstrate uncertainty about a variety of issues which relate to identity including long-term goals, career choice, friendship patterns, sexual orientation and behavior, religious identification, moral values and group loyalties, which results in impaired social and occupational (including academic) functioning.