What disorders are seen more often in emerging adults than in any other age group?

Summary

Since 1960 demographic trends towards longer time in education and late age to enter into marriage and of parenthood have led to the rise of a new life stage at ages 18–29 years, now widely known as emerging adulthood in developmental psychology. In this review we present some of the demographics of emerging adulthood in high-income countries with respect to the prevalence of tertiary education and the timing of parenthood. We examine the characteristics of emerging adulthood in several regions (with a focus on mental health implications) including distinctive features of emerging adulthood in the USA, unemployment in Europe, and a shift towards greater individualism in Japan.

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Article Info

Publication History

Identification

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00080-7

Copyright

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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What are the major concerns of emerging adults?

Five major struggles occur during emerging adulthood: identity, instability, being self-focused, feeling in-between, and new possibilities. Brain science provides scientific support for this new stage of adulthood.

What are five characteristics that distinguish emerging adulthood from other age periods?

Five features make emerging adulthood distinctive: identity explorations, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between adolescence and adulthood, and a sense of broad possibilities for the future.

What is the leading cause of death during emerging adulthood?

Injuries (including road traffic injuries and drowning), violence, self-harm, infectious diseases such as respiratory infections and maternal conditions (complications for pregnancy) are leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults.

Why are serious accidents more common in emerging adulthood than later?

Why are serious accidents more common during emerging adulthood than later in adulthood? Accidents are more common in emerging adulthood because there is a "developmental lag between impulse control and cognitive evaluation of risk".