Changes in Psychological Distress among East German Adolescents Facing German Unification

Abstract

Abrupt social change, such as the breakdown of a political system of the former communist states, presents a major adaptive challenge to the individual. The authors analyzed whether commitment to the old political system and high self-efficacy beliefs measured before German unification would predict change in psychological distress in East German adolescents in the first 2 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Adolescents who were highly committed to the old East German political system showed a stronger increase in distress after unification, however only if they had low preunification self-efficacy beliefs. In adolescents with average and high levels of preunification self-efficacy, previous identification with the East German system was not related to change in psychological distress. In addition, higher self-efficacy predicted a decrease in psychological distress over time.