Using a longitudinal design, we examined changes in parent and peer attachment among college students, and their predictive and protective roles in relation to mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students (N = 106) rated their parent and peer attachment, and self-reported anxiety, loneliness, and depressive symptoms 1 year before and during the pandemic. Participants also rated

The misuse of pharmacological cognitive enhancers (PCEs) in an academic context is a growing area of concern, particularly as rates of PCE use among emerging adults have increased over time. The aim of this study was to identify potential targets for future preventive interventions by examining several social-cognitive variables as risk factors for PCE use. Using a sample of 335 undergraduate college

Most pregnancies among young people in the United States are unintended. Previous analyses of unintended pregnancies have typically been restricted by outcome, focusing either on those who had an abortion or those who gave birth. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 young women in the San Francisco Bay Area who experienced at least one unintended pregnancy at or before age 25, regardless of pregnancy

This study explores student loans, family support, and reciprocity during the transition out of college into adulthood. We examine experiences of family financial assistance and co-living among college students and graduates with loans, and whether support and reciprocity systematically differed by loan presence. We conducted four waves of qualitative interviews with college graduates with loans at

Previous studies have shown that sleep quality is associated with risk-taking behaviors, but the psychological mechanism of this relationship is unclear among emerging adults at university. In the present study, we examined the relationship among sleep quality, resilience, and risk-taking behaviors in college students. A sample of 1221 college students (50.4% females, Mage = 22.58, SD = 1.28) was enrolled

Drinking to cope with negative affect is a strong predictor of alcohol-related problems. We hypothesized that the association between friendship conflict and alcohol-related problems would be mediated by coping-with-depression motives in emerging adults’ close friendships. We used a 4-wave, 4-month longitudinal self-report survey design measuring friendship conflict, coping motives, and alcohol-related

Emerging adulthood is a formative phase of development when women’s expectations of success can influence their opportunities for mastery experiences in career and family domains. Women prioritize varying life roles (career, family, and relationships) and these roles potentially intersect with the conflict between work and family that women forecast for their future selves. We used a social cognitive

Emerging adults have become more susceptible to COVID-19 because of the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants. Vaccination can help protect them from contracting the virus. However, in the Philippines, vaccine acceptance rates are low. This cross-sectional study sought to determine the demographic, health, and pandemic-related determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention among Filipino emerging

This article characterizes role models identified by emerging/young adults for healthy eating and physical activity (PA), explores variations in reported role models by age, sex and race/ethnicity, and examines dietary/physical activity behaviors in relation to role models. Emerging/young adults (n=397) enrolled in a randomized controlled weight management trial completed assessments at baseline: self-reported

Technologically-assisted communication plays a key role in facilitating relationships between parents and emerging adult college students who are living away from home. Informed by Media Multiplexity Theory, we investigated the channels that college students use to communicate with parents and the impact that used and non-used channels have on perceived parent–child relationships. Semi-structured interviews

There are costs and benefits to conforming and resisting gender norms, and this ratio likely changes during the transition to adulthood. In this paper, we explore the development of young men’s masculine norm resistance from adolescence through emerging adulthood. Using thematic analysis on interviews with cisgender young adult men who reported feeling at least somewhat gender atypical (N = 30, Mage

The present study examined the assets and unmet social and health needs of young women at the transition to adulthood in a particular area of a small city in North Carolina. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants who identified as women (age 18–29). Using a deductive thematic analysis approach, we identified three themes and 13 sub-themes across the topic areas of interest

In a highly gendered society where both relational expectations and career aspirations are socialized goals, emerging adult women are uniquely positioned when considering their futures. Choices regarding education, career, and romantic relationships are linked to social pressures, leading young women to be conflicted about what goals to prioritize. This study analyzes interviews exploring how women

Initial research has indicated that college students have experienced numerous stressors as a result of the pandemic. The current investigation enrolled the largest and most diverse sample of college students to date (N = 4714) from universities in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ), the epicenter of the North American pandemic in Spring 2020. We described the impact on the psychological, academic,

This article focuses on young people between 18 and around 30 in Germany returning to school after dropping out or finishing their education at a lower level than they are now striving for. The facilities they attend provide what is called a “second-chance education”; the possibility of upgrading their school-leaving certificate at a later stage. However, the curricula and school regulations of the

Findings from interviews with 15 emerging adults (Mage = 29.00, SD = .37) subjected to bullying victimization as children and suffering from poor psychological health in emerging adulthood revealed experiences of a very long duration of victimization, coping through adaptation to the bullying, and experiences of not receiving help from school personnel. Many participants described experiences of depression

Emerging research suggests young adults, in particular women, may be especially sensitive to changes associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. This study, which is part of an ongoing research project focusing on young adulthood and substance use during the UK COVID-19 lockdown, aimed to provide an in-depth snapshot of factors that young adult women may describe as influential in their alcohol consumption

Perceived drinking motives of social network members appear to influence emerging adults’ alcohol use indirectly through their own drinking motives. Ascertaining the accuracy of motive perceptions can determine the relevance of social norm interventions for drinking motives and the utility of egocentric versus direct-reporting social network designs. As part of a larger study, 60 emerging adults (70%

American college students (N = 49) participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews focused on the manner in which their caregivers did (or did not) provide financial support related to their college-enrollment. Transcript data were coded and analyzed using a cross-case, variable-oriented approach. Students described variability in their perceptions of (a) the extent of caregiver financial resources

The current study extends the literature on emerging adults by examining their communication with parents and peers simultaneously. Specifically, emerging adults’ communication patterns and the relationships among communication, well-being, and their perceptions of parents’ involvement and autonomy support are explored. Emerging adults (N = 328) reported their frequency of communication in person,

Status among peers likely continues to play a role in social functioning and well-being beyond adolescence. This study examined how emerging adults in tertiary education defined popularity, and their beliefs regarding aggressive and prosocial behaviors affording status. The role of status motivation, own status, and gender in these definitions and beliefs were explored. Emerging adults primarily associated

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students’ lives. A mixed methods approach, analyzing open- and closed-ended questions about challenges and opportunities, reveals numerous ways in which the pandemic has impacted students in general and differentially by gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and family income. Cisgender male and heterosexual students generally

The current study explores Black undergraduate women’s friendships using in-depth interview data from 47 women (18–24 years) attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Drawing on consensual qualitative research methods, we considered the nature and importance of Black female friendships among Black undergraduate women. We identified the following themes: (a) friendship

Barriers to success experienced by former foster youth are well documented; however, missing is the full exploration of the experiences of ethnic minority foster youth. This qualitative exploratory study presents a hermeneutic thematic analysis of interviews conducted with eight youth, of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds, who recently aged out of foster care in a largely rural southwestern state

Social clock theory posits that off-time transitions, such as virginity loss, are often socially reproached and stigmatized. Research suggests, however, that reasons for virginity in adulthood are heterogeneous and that some emerging adult virgins (EAVs) are struggling socially. To guide the development of interventions tailored to this population, it is important to understand their difficulties.

We analyzed qualitative data from 707 USA college students aged 18–22 in late April 2020 regarding if and how their relationships had changed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most (69%) participants experienced relationship changes, most of whom (77%) described negative changes: less overall contact, feeling disconnected, and increased tension, some of which was due to conflict over pandemic-related

To date, few scholars have explored religious and spiritual socialization among emerging adult Black women. In this study, we analyzed semi-structured interview data from 50 Black undergraduate women to explore associations between childhood religious socialization messages and current religious beliefs in emerging adulthood. Consensual qualitative methods revealed two broad domains and six themes

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major stressor that has negatively impacted global mental health. Many U.S. college students faced an abrupt transition to remote learning in March 2020 that significantly disrupted their routines, likely causing changes in mental health. The current study examined changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms among 990 college students, from before COVID-19 had reached U.S

The objective of this study is to examine young adults’ perceptions of the pandemic. This study is based on a content analysis of memes posted on one of the most popular emerging–adult-focused Facebook groups established during the pandemic. It finds that three themes emerged: pandemic humor, generational identity humor, and generational conflict humor. Memes about the pandemic include sub-themes of

Emerging adult (EA; aged 18–29) military members experience major career, life, and developmental transitions. The conglomeration of these changes may influence or exacerbate anxiety or stress, produce challenges, and lead to negative coping mechanisms, such as substance use. This study sought to understand the utility of the five Emerging Adulthood Theory (EAT) dimensions among a sample of military

Poor cognitive control has been associated with maladaptive thinking, like rumination and worry, that increase risk for internalizing psychopathology. However, little research has investigated how cognitive control is associated with commonalities between rumination and worry (i.e., repetitive negative thinking; RNT). The current study aimed to investigate how cognitive control predicts engagement

This study investigated binge behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy, exploring individual and contextual risk factors. Participants were 1925 emerging adults (Mage = 24.18, SDage = 2.75; 71.9% women), recruited during the national lockdown in Italy. An online survey investigated binge behaviors both prior and during quarantine. Binge drinking significantly diminished during quarantine, while

The present study aimed to explore how economic and social resources interact with emerging adults’ vocational identity development. Emerging adults (N = 108) from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Turkey were interviewed. Participants' reflections on the intersection between socioeconomic resources and vocational identity development were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results revealed

The occurrence of the novel coronavirus necessitates a better understanding of how romantic partners use social technology to cope with health stressors. This exploratory study, therefore, examined whether COVID-related health concerns regarding oneself or one’s romantic partner before/during quarantine predict, or are predicted by, emerging adults’ engagement in social media surveillance of their

This study modeled disruptions in first-year undergraduates’ trajectories of mental health associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, testing whether disruptions were worse for students who moved residences, reported low family income, or were food insecure. Participants (n = 510) at a large Canadian university reported depression, anxiety, and stress in September, November, January, and March. In March

The present study examines emotional closeness between French grandparents and their emerging adult grandchildren. The present study explores facets of the grandparent–grandchild relationship that have not been extensively investigated. It highlights the importance of the grandchildren’s relationship with their grandparents as they reach adulthood and the facets of intergenerational emotional closeness

An increasing body of research suggests that emerging adults living in Western societies are becoming more individualistic and such increases in individualism are associated with reduced well-being. The present study examined relationships between well-being and individualism and collectivism among 1906 emerging adults in the US, aged 18–25. We measured individualism and collectivism distinguishing

The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence, predictors, and psychosocial well-being (depressive symptoms, stress) and weight-related behavior (eating behaviors, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) correlates of social distancing during COVID-19 among emerging adults. A rapid-response survey was sent to participants (n=720; mean age=24.7 ± 2.0 years, 62% female) in a population-based

The present longitudinal study assessed the direction of effects between COVID-19 experiences, general well-being, socio-emotional motives for online communication, problematic social media use, and insomnia symptoms, among a sample of emerging adults at university. Participants (N = 619; 64% female; 66% White) completed an online survey 5 months apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from an

COVID-19 containment behaviors (CCBs) remain important methods for reducing contagion. Theoretical frameworks to understand engagement in health-risk behaviors among young people may help identify individuals with elevated risk for non-adherence to CCBs. We aimed to elucidate individual differences in CCBs by evaluating if CCBs fit into an established health-risk behavior framework. Using a cross-sectional

Rapidly growing evidence has shown the negative consequences of overparenting among offspring during emerging adulthood. Notwithstanding the proliferation of self-report measures that assess overparenting from the offspring’s perspective, much less frequently overparenting is assessed from the parents’ vantage point that might provide a more holistic and unfiltered depiction of their overparenting

The current study explored whether and to what extent different procreative options (natural conception, adoption, homologous techniques, and heterologous techniques) were perceived as enriching or threatening to young adults’ expectation of identity motives fulfillment. Our sample consisted of 1380 Italian young adults (62.9% women) aged between 18 and 33 years who participated in a national online

Asian Americans hold a complex racial position in the U.S. They have been considered “honorary Whites,” unaffected by racial discrimination while simultaneously viewed as perpetual foreigners in their homeland. This study was conducted in the context of a historic uprising against racism and police brutality. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Asian American emerging adults explored how participants

With the increased frequency of highly publicized racism in the United States, the engagement of racial socialization among Black emerging adults and their peers is critical for navigating their racial experiences and organizing for change as evident in social movements led by young adults (e.g., Black Lives Matter). However, little is known about the process of peer racial socialization and its relation

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emerging adults is of global concern. We examine changes in depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and sleep-wake problems from before to during the pandemic among college students and examine inequalities by gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and race (N = 263, 52% Black, 48% White, and 53% female). As compared to pre-pandemic levels, increases were evident

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted emerging adults’ daily routines due to social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and public and educational facilities’ closure. This article uses longitudinal panel data from Germany (N = 625) to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic affects emerging adults’ mental health and life satisfaction. Specifically, we investigate risk and protective factors for within-person

The present study examined associations between exercise and alcohol use at the between- and within-person levels, including temporal sequencing and the impact of gender. Participants were 221 college students that completed an online survey and 14 daily surveys assessing their daily exercise and alcohol use. Individuals who reported higher exercise scores also consumed more alcohol, on average. On

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate emerging adults’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether social support from mothers, fathers, and best friends moderated the change in mental health. Participants were 98 emerging adults (46% men) who were assessed prior to COVID-19 (Mage = 20.60 years) and during the first lockdown (Mage = 22.67 years). Results indicated

The current study tested whether COVID-19 disruptions and perceived discrimination were related to mental health (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms and emotional, psychological, and social well-being), and whether exercise moderated relations. Additionally, we tested whether findings varied by ethnicity/race. Participants were 368 African American and Asian American emerging adults

The current two-wave longitudinal study aimed to investigate changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and positive mental health (PMH) during the first COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the sample of emerging adults. Data were collected before the COVID-19 and within the first month of the outbreak. The study sample consisted of 775 university students from Lithuania (n = 450, M age(SD age) = 19.45 (0.93)

Characteristics of emerging adulthood may make college students less likely to engage in COVID-protective behaviors, a public health concern given that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) students may be particularly vulnerable to complications related to COVID-19. To identify individual and contextual factors related to COVID-protective behaviors among a sample of

Employing narrative inquiry, this paper examines how 30 Mexican and Central American young adults (ages 21 to 34) who immigrated without a parent as teenagers—the unaccompanied 1.25 generation— experienced the subjective feeling of adulthood. Structural realities pushed the unaccompanied 1.25 generation into early adult roles, independence, and social responsibility. In many cases, attainment of “adult”

Although emerging adults are generally more physically resilient to the severe effects of COVID-19, they might be vulnerable to the psychological stressors brought about by the crisis. Using semi-structured interviews, this qualitative research aimed to explore the experiences, well-being, coping strategies and future expectations of 15 emerging adults in Serbia during the state of emergency caused

Theories posit that bicultural competence, the ability to negotiate between U.S. mainstream culture and one’s own heritage culture, is an important cultural adaptation skill for Latina/x/o populations’ academic and psychosocial outcomes, in part, because of the ability to hold and resolve competing perspectives within and across contexts. However, more research is needed to identify the associations

The present study used a sample of 9,100 youth from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to identify how early socioeconomic adversity and BMI-related genetics combine to influence youth BMI and academic achievement/failure across successive life stages (i.e., adolescence, emerging adulthood, young adulthood), resulting in adverse economic outcomes in young adulthood. The results

Many emerging adults report experiencing mental health challenges (e.g., depressive symptoms and perceived stress) during the transition to university. These mental health challenges often coincide with increased engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI; e.g., self-cutting or burning without lethal intent), but longitudinal research exploring the nature of the associations among depressive symptoms

Many modern emerging adults undertake the task of identity development while navigating life on a post-secondary campus, where they assimilate to new social and learning environments. Emerging adult newcomers (i.e. immigrants) must navigate additional developmental challenges as they reconcile their cultural, ethnic, and personal identity development simultaneously while facing systemic barriers to

Covid-19 emerged in December of 2019 and continues to overwhelm the world. To date (June 21, 2021), there have been 178,118,597 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 3,864,180 deaths due to COVID-19 (World Health Organization, 2021). The United States of America, Brazil, and India have been hit especially hard. However, few places around the world have escaped the devastating effects of COVID-19. The desolation

Researchers have begun examining changes in recreational marijuana use among emerging adults (EAs), however, no studies have examined the influence of parents on EA children’s marijuana use due to legalization. We sought to address this gap by using a 2019 cross-sectional online survey of 404 EA students (18–25 years; M = 20.7, SD = 1.9) about their behavioral observations and conversations with parents

The psychological effect of the pandemic and measures taken in response to control viral spread are not yet well understood in university students; in-depth qualitative analysis can provide nuanced information about the young adult distress experience. Undergraduate students (N = 624) in an early US outbreak “hotspot” completed an online narrative writing about the impact and distress experienced due