In the United States, established adulthood (ages 30–45) often represents the most intense and demanding years of adult life. During this time, most individuals settle into adult roles and responsibilities, negotiating the intersecting demands of work and family obligations. While discrete topics relevant to this period have been investigated by developmental scientists, the subjective experience of established adulthood as a whole remains largely overlooked. In the present study, we aim to provide the foundation for a more comprehensive and integrated understanding of established adulthood by interviewing participants (n = 127) aged 30–45 from across the United States about the nature of their current lived experience. In general, participants described the Experience of Established Adulthood as a time of establishing their adulthood, stability, changes in priorities, and shifting perceptions of time. They also noted a number of Responsibilities and Commitments, describing an increase in obligations, and feeling a “career and care crunch. Participants also reported experiencing Evolution, noting that they continued to grow and learn, explore their beliefs and values, and make course corrections as needed. Finally, participants described Actualization in terms of gained wisdom, self-understanding, self- confidence, and life satisfaction. Taken together, our results suggest that established adults in the USA face challenges and opportunities distinct from those faced during emerging adulthood or midlife.

在美国，成熟的成年期（30-45 岁）通常代表着成年生活中最紧张和要求最高的几年。在此期间，大多数人适应成人角色和责任，协商工作和家庭义务的交叉需求。虽然发育科学家已经研究了与这一时期相关的离散主题，但成年后的主观体验作为一个整体仍然在很大程度上被忽视。在本研究中，我们旨在通过采访来自美国各地的 30-45 岁的参与者 ( n  = 127)，了解他们当前生活经历的性质，从而为更全面、更全面地理解成熟的成年期奠定基础。一般来说，参与者描述了成熟成年的经历作为建立他们成年、稳定、优先事项变化和对时间观念转变的时期。他们还提到了一些责任和承诺，描述了义务的增加，并感到“职业和护理紧缩”。参与者还报告说经历了进化，并指出他们继续成长和学习，探索他们的信仰和价值观，并根据需要进行课程修正。最后，参与者从获得的智慧、自我理解、自信和生活满意度方面描述了实现。总之，我们的研究结果表明，美国成熟的成年人面临的挑战和机遇与新兴成年期或中年期所面临的挑战和机遇不同。