Emerging Adulthood

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Life span developmental perspectives of emerging adults and health

In the last decade the life stage of emerging adulthood has been established in developmental psychology, describing features of the age period reaching from the late teens to the late twenties (Arnett, 2006a, 2007a). This new life stage between adolescence and young adulthood has emerged in modern industrialized societies as a result of economic and societal changes, leading to more young people pursuing higher education, as well as to growing individualism by allowing young people great freedom to decide when to enter adult roles like parenthood, marriage and permanent work. Consequently, many wait until the late 20s before entering those roles (Arnett, 2007a, 2007b). The …show more content…
Emotional self-regulation improves from adolescence through the years of emerging adulthood, and overall emotional well-being consequently keeps rising through these years (Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, & Monteiro, 2001; Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). Related to behavioral self-regulation is the fact that emerging adulthood is a period where several risk-behaviors are highest, including substance use (Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). Aspects of socialization is also incomplete, and the period may serve as an important era for developing perspective taking, strategies for resolving conflicts and ways of viewing relationships, as well as for acquainting cultural standards and values (Arnett, 2007b; Schulenberg, Bryant, & O'Malley, 2004). Resources promoting positive adaptation, academic attainment and resilience may also be developed during emerging adulthood. The descriptions of adaptive resources during emerging adulthood include the following constructs; planful competence (described as a composite of several indicators of adaptive behavior, including self-control and realistic goal setting), future orientation and achievement motivation, coping skills, autonomy, and adult support (Masten et al., …show more content…
Further, how well one is able to manage these transitions is likely to influence, and be influenced by, mental health (Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). The greater self-selection and reduction of institutional support during emerging adulthood seem to be good for most, but may be debilitating for those of who it jeopardizes to overwhelm their coping-capacity (Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). However, possible strain from the major transitions of emerging adulthood do not necessarily have long term effects and may result only in momentary disturbances (Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). When there has been time to adjust, and when developmental tasks and contexts shift, the individual’s ongoing trajectory prior to the developmental disturbance may resume (Schulenberg & Zarett, 2006). Despite characteristic features of emerging adulthood as well as developmental health-related features of the period of age, a great heterogeneity between different individuals is emphasized regarding the main characteristics of emerging adulthood, as well as the paths of mental health functioning during the age period. The diversity being due to the lack of institutional structures and the exceptional freedom to exercise agency and own choice in trying out possibilities before making long-term commitments (Arnett, 2006a; Schulenberg & Zarett,
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