title: Exiting and Returning to the Parental Home for Boomerang Kids.
abstract: Young adults commonly exit from and return to the parental home, yet few studies have examined the motivation behind these exits and returns using a life course framework. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, the authors examined associations between mental health problems and economic characteristics and exits from (n = 8,162), and returns to (n = 6,530), the parental home during the transition to adulthood. The average age of the respondents was 24 years. The authors found evidence that mental health and economic characteristics were related to home leaving and returning. Emotional distress was associated with earlier exits from, and returns to, the parental home; alcohol problems were associated with earlier returns to the parental home. The findings regarding economic resources were unexpectedly mixed. Greater economic resources were linked to delayed exits from, and earlier returns to, the parental home. The implications of these findings for young adults are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sandberg-Thoma
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Anastasia R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Bohyun Joy
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Jang
keywords: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997; home leaving; home returning; transition to adulthood