The synergistic role played by multiple lifestyle behaviors on mental health during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood has not been extensively studied. This study included 493 participants who self-reported on a range of health behaviors during adolescence and emerging adulthood, and psychological distress and mental wellbeing during emerging adulthood. Latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis were used to analyze the data. Three unique behavioral profiles were observed at baseline: moderately physically active abstainers (i.e., abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana), high screen time users, and moderately physically active and moderate risk behaviors. Four unique behavioral profiles were observed at follow-up: highly physically active with moderate risk behaviors, moderately physically active with moderate risk behaviors, physically inactive abstainers, and physically inactive with risky behaviors. Adolescents characterized as moderately active abstainers reported fewer symptoms of psychological distress during emerging adulthood compared to adolescents who displayed moderately active and moderate risk behaviors, and better mental wellbeing than high screen time users.

The current study explored the emotional effects on individuals of receiving fewer "Likes" than others on social media, as well as the potential moderating roles of participant shyness and previous experiences with cybervictimization. Participants were 1,007 undergraduate students (751 women; = 19.33 years, = 7.2 years) from a university in Eastern Ontario, Canada. During a standardized social media task, participants were randomly assigned to receive either "few Likes," "some Likes," or "many Likes." They completed self-report measures (e.g., self-esteem, sense of life meaning, emotions, loneliness, and intentions to limit social media use) both before and after the experimental task. Among the results, participants who received fewer likes reported significantly lower levels of self-esteem, reduced feelings of meaningful existence, and fewer positive emotions. Additionally, the negative impact of insufficient positive social media feedback was more pronounced among emerging adults who reported being more shy and had previously experienced cybervictimization. Our findings shed light on the potential detrimental outcomes associated with social media use among young adults.

This paper proposes family social capital as a relational mechanism for driving the early career development of emerging adults. Career development theories, like the social cognitive career theory, largely focus on individuals or macro "environmental" factors. Meanwhile, sociologists focus on resources beyond individuals, like parental socioeconomic status. This paper theorises that family social capital can encourage career goal making and achievement by facilitating positive interactions between young people and influential adults, showing that social resources can play a key role in career development beyond individual characteristics and financial resources. Family social capital contributes to educational performance and lower levels of delinquent behaviour, suggesting social capital may have similar positive associations with career development. Using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health survey from the U.S, this study examines whether the positive effects of family social capital extend into the career orientation of emerging adults.

With the rise of social media and the potential for ethnic discrimination on these platforms, this study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms, social media discrimination, 'powerful others,' and emotional self-efficacy with a convenience sample of 628 Hispanic emerging adult college students from Florida ( = 401) and Texas ( = 227). Results from a hierarchical multiple regression model indicate that higher social media discrimination is associated with greater depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that higher emotional self-efficacy and perception of 'powerful others' strengthened the association between social media discrimination and depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual and contextual factors when examining mental health disparities in this population, suggesting that tailored interventions may benefit from addressing the complex interplay between social media discrimination and emotion regulation.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors represent a major public health concern among adolescents and young adults. Alcohol use can contribute to escalated suicide risk. This study examined potential modifiable risk factors that might impact the relationship between alcohol use and suicidal ideation across adolescence and young adulthood. Data from 137 participants who were followed from 6 grade through age 30 were included in analyses. Cross lagged panel modeling was used to examine potential impacts of negative life events and perceived social support on the longitudinal relationship between alcohol use and suicidal ideation. Results demonstrate an indirect pathway from alcohol use at age 18 to increased suicidal ideation at ages 22-30 via increased exposure to negative life events. A significant buffering effect of social support appeared to interrupt this pathway. Results highlight social support and negative life events as important targets for intervention to reduce suicidal ideation as adolescents transition into adulthood.

We assessed whether traits from the four-factor vulnerability model for substance misuse are associated with the content of emotional descriptions given by Canadian university students of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives. Personality traits were measured in 1185 first- and second-year undergraduates (mean age = 19.11 years; 79% female). Written responses to "Tell us about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting your life" were coded using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software. Negative binomial analyses were run to examine links between traits and emotion word types used in responses. Anxiety sensitivity was associated with increased use of anxiety words; hopelessness was associated with increased use of negative emotion and sadness words, and decreased use of positive emotion words; and impulsivity was associated with increased use of anger words. Findings have implications for personality-tailored interventions for students vulnerable to distress resulting from highly stressful situations such as pandemics.

The capacity to regulate emotions is central to children's physical, emotional, and mental well-being as they develop. The influence of adverse childhood experiences on diminished emotion regulation (ER) has been linked to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviours in both children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study, including 479 Canadian emerging adults aged 17-19 years, examined how exposure to different levels of interparental conflict (IPC) during childhood was associated with ER (i.e., expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) during emerging adulthood, and how parent-child closeness and parent-child conflict moderated this link. Findings revealed that at higher levels of parent-child closeness, IPC was associated with increased expressive suppression, while there were no significant differences in expressive suppression at lower levels of parent-child closeness. Similarly, IPC was more strongly associated with reduced cognitive reappraisal in the context of high parent-child conflict compared to low conflict. Findings from this work will inform interventional therapeutic and counselling practices to support the well-being of children and families.

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) emerging adults in the United States experience mistreatment inside and outside healthcare settings, which may contribute to known mental health and substance use inequities. The purpose of our study was to examine associations between provider and healthcare setting mistreatment with past 30-day severe psychological distress, illicit substance use, binge drinking, and past year suicidal ideation among TNB emerging adults (18-25 years; = 10,203) who sought healthcare in the previous year. In sociodemographic-adjusted, multivariate, logistic regression models, all mistreatment types were associated with worse mental health and illicit substance use. Structural interventions to improve interdisciplinary healthcare providers' attitudes and knowledge, combined with inclusive healthcare policies are needed to ensure TNB emerging adults are treated with respect and dignity.

Friendship-related stress is an understudied factor that may explain variation in coping-motivated and socially-motivated drinking among emerging adults. This study examined chronic and episodic friendship stress as predictors of drinking levels and motivations among emerging adults transitioning to post-college life. College drinkers reported drinking motives and alcohol consumption daily for 30 days using an Internet-based diary in college and five years later ( = 897, 54.2% women, M = 24.6 at follow-up, 86.0% White). Post-college, participants completed by phone the UCLA-Life Stress Interview assessing chronic and episodic friendship/social life stress. Chronic friendship/social life stress was positively correlated with mean levels of post-college drinking-to-cope motivation and was negatively related to post-college heavy drinking and social drinking motivation. Emerging adults experiencing friendship stress are more likely to use alcohol as a coping mechanism, elevating their risk for alcohol-related problems. Those with low friendship stress may require public health interventions around the risks of heavy drinking.

Emerging adults in the U.S. face significant economic uncertainty during the early life course. Economic uncertainties grew in the 2000s, especially for the Millennial cohort. Access to credit can be a resource to manage the instability that characterizes emerging adulthood. However, debt can also become a burden, making credit like a "double-edged sword." We study inequality in debt holding for five debt types that provide distinct resources and burdens, including mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards, and other debts to businesses. We analyze the extent to which the Millennial cohort accumulated unequal debts by the end of emerging adulthood using the . We find strikingly unequal debt holding by education, race/ethnicity, and education-by-race/ethnicity for Millennial emerging adults. We conclude that policies and programs that support emerging adult financial wellbeing will be crucial for healthy development and reduced inequalities during this life course stage.

The aim of this study was to verify whether the links between features of best-friendship quality (intimacy, reliable alliance, conflict) and well-being indicators (self-esteem, loneliness) change from early emerging adulthood to early established adulthood. The moderating effect of gender and investment in romantic life on these links was examined as well. For the purpose, 346 individuals (58% women) completed questionnaires at age 20 and again at age 30. Multilevel analysis were performed for each well-being indicators separately. The results showed reliable alliance to be associated with both well-being indicators, and intimacy to be associated with loneliness. Age moderated the effect of intimacy on self-esteem, whereas investment in romantic life moderated the effect of reliable alliance. Finally, triple interactions emerged between conflict, gender and age in their associations with self-esteem and loneliness, underscoring particularities for men. These results underscore the most influential features of friendship quality for well-being.

This study characterizes the profile of Black emerging adults aged 18-29 generated from sociodemographic characteristics and indicators of police contact and exposure to racism-based police violence (RPV), and the relationship between profiles and traumatic stress symptoms. A purposive sample of 300 Black emerging adults was recruited for this exploratory study. Cluster analysis (CA) was performed to generate profiles of this sample. Two distinct profiles emerged from the CA. Cluster 1 is characterized by participants with low rates of police contacts and direct RPV exposure, whereas Cluster 2 consists of participants with higher rates of police contacts and direct RPV exposure. Regression analysis revealed that being in Cluster 2, as opposed to Cluster 1, was associated with increased scores for depression, avoidance, and intrusion symptoms. Findings provide guidance for mental health intervention strategies to combat the psychological impact of RPV exposure for Black emerging adults.

Breakups are common among emerging adults and are associated with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, especially in the presence of attachment insecurities. Previous authors have suggested that inadequate coping strategies might explain this association, yet this has not been examined longitudinally. This study examined the mediating role of five coping strategies (self-help, approach, accommodation, avoidance, self-punishment) in the longitudinal associations between attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and depressive and anxious symptoms in 196 emerging adults experiencing a romantic breakup. Measures of pre-breakup attachment, post-breakup coping strategies (one-month post-breakup), and depressive and anxiety symptoms (one- and three-month post-breakup) were administered. Results from a longitudinal autoregressive cross-lagged model showed that pre-breakup attachment insecurities were related to higher depressive and anxiety post-breakup symptoms through higher use of self-punishment and lower use of accommodation coping strategies. Findings highlight coping strategies as potential intervention targets to promote the recovery of emerging adults experiencing breakup distress.

Young adults face stressful role transitions as well as increased risk for poor mental health, but little is known about a "natural course" of response to such events. We used the PHQ-2 to characterize the trajectory of depressive symptoms before, during, and after relationship breakup and examined subjective appraisal and sense of control as moderators. In our sample of participants reporting a single breakup during the 2-year study period (N=156), breakup was associated with a temporary increase in depressive symptoms that returned to pre-breakup levels within three months. We observed increased symptoms among negatively appraised, but not positive or neutral, events. A general low sense of control was associated with higher depressive symptoms at all time points. Our results suggest that a natural course of response to young adult breakups is characterized by recovery within three months and that subjective appraisal and sense of control contribute to this adaptive response.

This 15-year longitudinal study investigated with follow-up data how romantic patterns from ages 16 to 24 are associated with romantic involvement and turnover (ages 25-30), romantic dispositions (age 30) and romantic relationships characteristics (age 30). A sample of 255 individuals (60.8% women) identified all their romantic partners between the ages of 16 and 24. Between ages 25 and 30, participants identified all their romantic partners and the length of each relationship. At age 30, they also completed a series of questionnaires regarding romantic dispositions and if it applied, characteristics of their current romantic relationship. Results indicated continuity in the romantic sphere from adolescence to established adulthood. At age 30, romantic patterns were associated with: avoidance of intimacy, jealousy, global romantic satisfaction, relationship status and the duration of the current romantic relationship. Together, these results bring new information on romantic development from adolescence to established adulthood.

Romantic relationship qualities are likely to change from adolescence to adulthood. Therefore, we undertook a longitudinal study to examine changes in satisfaction, intimacy, and conflict over this period by simultaneously testing the effects of age, relationship length, and their interaction. These qualities were measured at nine-time points from ages 16 to 30 in a Canadian sample of 337 participants (62.9% women) who reported being in a romantic relationship at least once over this period. The results of multilevel analyses show that satisfaction, intimacy, and conflict decline with age but increase with relationship length. Moreover, age and relationship length were found to have a significant interactive effect on satisfaction and intimacy.

Helicopter parenting, a parenting style defined by over-involvement, may lead to poor health outcomes. However, research has primarily focused on children and adolescents from White, high socio-economic families, with little research examining weight-related health or with emerging adult children. The current study examined associations with emerging adult diet, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) among a diverse population-based sample of parent and emerging adult dyads ( = 919). Helicopter parenting was highest among lower socioeconomic households and those identifying as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Helicopter parenting was associated with both healthy and less healthy dietary behaviors across ethnic/racial groups, but was not associated with physical activity or BMI. Greater consideration of the cultural context related to helicopter parenting is needed before making conclusions about its benefits or harms.

Using a cross-sectional survey study with undergraduate students ( = 1257; age = 20; 908 women) in the United States, this paper examined college students' use of social media for coping and its association with COVID-19-related worries (loneliness, interpersonal stress, anxiety) and mental health outcomes (depression, generalized anxiety, and life satisfaction). Undergraduate students were found to use social media frequently during the pandemic to socially connect with others online and to modulate negative emotions. Structural equation modeling revealed that COVID-19-related worries were positively related to social media use for coping and that coping using social media was negatively related to general mental health concerns (depression, generalized anxiety) and positively associated with general mental health wellness (i.e., life satisfaction). Implications of using social media for coping during the pandemic for college student mental health are discussed.

Multiple studies have noted the impacts on student mental health of the COVID-19 pandemic, associated national lockdowns and emergency remote teaching. In light of COVID-19 shifting from pandemic to endemic status, this study investigates the developmental and mental health consequences of the pandemic for a group of South African undergraduate students. A qualitative design allowed for the thematic analysis of the narratives of 140 humanities students, gathered through an online survey. This paper presents the 'voices' of this group to convey the intensity of their COVID-19 experience. The results suggest a loss of a sense of freedom and opportunities to explore and experiment, high levels of depression with a notable sense of hopelessness regarding the future and decreased motivation, and significant reports of social anxiety related to delays in the development of social skills due to social isolation, particular to the first-year cohort.

Research addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial well-being and health behavior is accumulating; however, implications for emerging adult populations are underexplored. This manuscript synthesizes findings from a mixed-methods study of well-being, eating and activity behaviors, and food insecurity among a diverse, longitudinal cohort of emerging adults. The review includes findings from 11 original studies that involved collecting online surveys from 720 emerging adults and in-depth, virtual interviews with 33 respondents who were food insecure. Findings indicated the pandemic had widespread impacts on well-being. Population groups at greatest risk for poor outcomes included women; those who identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color; persons in households of low socioeconomic status; parents of young children; and persons who previously experienced mental health challenges or weight stigma. Further research will be needed to evaluate efforts to improve the well-being of emerging adults in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Completing college can be difficult and students who are first-generation (FG) or low-income (LI) or both (FGLI) encounter unique structural challenges. We conducted a population-based survey (N=1671) at two interconnected highly-selective institutions of higher education and examined measures related to belonging, mental health, and well-being. Means and standard deviations for continuous measures and proportions for categorical measures were calculated for the whole sample and for each subgroup (FG, LI, FGLI). After adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, differences in these measures between each group (FG vs not FG, LI vs not LI, and FGLI vs not FGLI) were tested with linear and logistic regression models (multinomial logistic regression was used where applicable). We found the overall sample (including FG, LI, and FGLI students) reported a strong sense of belonging, low levels of mental health symptoms, and good general health and well-being - though a majority had poor or fair sleep. Yet, FG, LI, and FGLI students reported lower levels of belonging, worse mental health, and poorer general health and well-being compared to students who were not FG, LI, and FGLI, respectively. Notably, FG, LI, and FGLI students had the lowest levels of hazardous alcohol consumption. This is one of the few studies to consider in detail how FG, LI, and FGLI students are experiencing challenges across multiple domains. Colleges must address these disparities and tailor health services and interventions to serve the unique needs of FG, LI, and FGLI students.

AWARE is a four-session group-based motivational enhancement intervention designed to reduce substance use and sexual risk behavior among emerging adults experiencing homelessness. Expanding on promising intervention effects on substance use and risky sex outcomes, this study explored intervention effects on changes in secondary outcomes from baseline to 12-month post-intervention: depression, physical health (general health ratings, physical symptoms), social functioning (satisfaction, quality of friendships), and housing stability. Among the 240 participants with baseline and 12-month follow-up data, we found small effect sizes generally favoring the intervention over usual care for all outcomes. Findings show promise that addressing substance use and risky sexual behavior through interventions in drop-in centers could benefit emerging adults experiencing homelessness in additional areas of their lives. More work is needed to understand how interventions could be tailored to more directly address these outcomes and sustain changes in the long-term.

As time passes from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, new cohorts of emerging adults transition to college carrying with them experiences and effects of the pandemic on their lives and development. This study uses semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis to investigate how a cohort of 36 young people made narrative meaning of the pandemic in relation to their identities. Data were collected at the beginning of their first year at college and focused on their experiences of the pandemic, its impact on their lives, and the lessons they took away from it. Findings demonstrate that even amid deep and varied challenges, young people coped in nuanced ways and some built narratives of personal growth, development, new social identities, and maturing values. The study contributes to greater depth in understanding the impacts of the pandemic on young people as they develop into emerging adults.

Historical events and cultural contexts have major implications for emerging adults' developmental experiences. Underpinned by the theory of emerging adulthood, this study examined how COVID-19 interacted with Singapore youths' negotiation of emerging adulthood. We employed a mixed-methods design and drew on Telegram text messaging among 757 Singapore youths ( = 19.60, = .63) at the onset of the pandemic. Using qualitative analysis, we examined whether the five features of emerging adulthood were salient in the context of the pandemic among Singapore youths. Using the quantitative methodology of topic modelling, we identified five culturally salient domains that emerged in Singapore youths' negotiation of the developmental features of emerging adulthood at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with work and studies being the most salient domain. Finally, quantitative analysis using a person-centered approach revealed four classes of youths with varying patterns of how experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic interacted with their negotiation of developmental features and domains of emerging adulthood: the Struggling youths, Relationship-Oriented youths, Me generation, and Go-Getters. Results from this study revealed how the pandemic and socio-cultural conditions of the Singapore society presented a unique developmental context for emerging adults. Practical implications for supporting each group of emerging adults are discussed.

In this study, we examine the prevalence of income and career concerns among emerging adults in three different welfare states during COVID-19: Finland ( = 309), Sweden ( = 324), and the United Kingdom ( = 343). This study also delves into how factors such as one's self-perceived financial situation, generalized mistrust, loneliness and socio-demographics are related to emerging adults' income and career concerns. Results showed that individuals from the United Kingdom were more likely to experience increased income and career concerns than those in Finland and Sweden. Our results also suggest that income concerns were associated with one's current financial situation, future financial situation, childhood financial situation, and loneliness. Also, career concerns were related to generalized mistrust, loneliness, and age. For both country-specific and general analyses, loneliness emerged as the most important for increased income and career concerns for emerging adults in all three countries.

For the academic year 2021-2022, many American colleges mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for students to return to campus. However, when academic leaders put these mandates into effect, they may have failed to consider the emotional impact on vaccine hesitant students, especially students who have been historically marginalized or underrepresented such as Black emerging adults. This qualitative study explored how vaccine hesitant Black emerging adults describe and understand their return to academia and, how the historical mistreatment of Black Americans influenced their feelings and decision-making process around the vaccine mandates. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 respondents, ages 18-25. The following themes were identified using thematic analysis: "…The Black Experience": Historical Racism and Medical Misrepresentation; Personal and External Reasons for Vaccine Hesitancy; Factors Impacting the Final Decision to get Vaccinated; Experiencing Varied Emotions about being Vaccinated. Findings demonstrate that the historical mistreatment of Black individuals shaped respondents' experience and informed their hesitancy about being vaccinated. Further, while all respondents ultimately complied with the vaccine mandate and were able to return to campus, overall feelings post vaccination varied. Implications for future research, higher education, and clinical practice are discussed.

This study examines alcohol and cannabis use within emerging adults' committed romantic relationships and its association with relationship functioning (satisfaction, stability) and well-being (life satisfaction, anxiety, depression). Participants completed surveys in 2020 and 2021 (N=1,214). Latent profile analysis identified four classes of couples' substance use patterns: concordant (similar) infrequent use (81.9% of sample), near-daily partner cannabis use (6.0%), near-daily respondent cannabis use (6.5%), and concordant moderate alcohol and near-daily cannabis use (5.5%). Cross-sectionally, respondents who reported concordant infrequent use had significantly higher well-being than those who reported concordant heavier use; there were no class differences involving the two types of discordant couples. In general, class membership did not predict changes in well-being or relationship functioning over a one-year period. Results provide new insights into patterns of both alcohol and cannabis use within committed romantic relationships of emerging adults that may have implications for well-being during this developmental period.

Research suggests that COVID-19-related restrictions affected individuals' ability to engage in relationship maintenance behaviors and have led to poorer romantic relationship quality. Poor relationship quality may be especially problematic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and otherwise non-heterosexual or-cisgender (LGBTQ+) college students, who often lack family support and are at greater risk for mental health issues. We used a social exchange theory lens to examine correlates of relationship satisfaction for LGBTQ+ college students during the early months of the pandemic. The analytic sample consists of 175 LGBTQ+ students ( = 20.5) who completed an online survey and reported being in a romantic relationship. Our findings demonstrate that LGBTQ+ students with more supportive partners were more satisfied with their relationships. These results can inform clinicians how to better support LGBTQ+ college couples when they experience relationship stress.

Using a multigroup path analysis, we examined if hazardous alcohol use mediated the relations between elevated externalizing personality traits (i.e., impulsivity or sensation seeking) and reduced adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines. We hypothesized that those high in externalizing personality traits would demonstrate less adherence to public health guidelines and that hazardous alcohol use would mediate this relationship. First- and second-year undergraduates ( = 1232; ages 18-25) from five Canadian universities participated in a cross-sectional survey between January to April 2021. Individuals with higher levels of impulsive or sensation seeking personality traits demonstrated poorer adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines and these relations were mediated by hazardous alcohol use. Results suggest that hazardous drinking is an important target for students high in impulsivity and sensation seeking to increase their adherence to public health guidelines and thereby help control viral spread.

Implicit cannabis associations (ICAs) inconsistently predict cannabis use (CU), and little is known about their formation. Personality, behavioral approach and inhibition, were tested as predictors of ICAs, which in turn, was expected to predict CU (mediation). Peer context was tested as a moderator.