title: Emerging Adulthood: A Time of Changes in Psychosocial Well-Being.
abstract: The principal aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial well-being of emerging adults using psychological states associated with this transitional phase and classic measures of emerging adulthood. We expected psychological states to be more closely associated with psychological well-being than classic markers of achieved adulthood. Data were collected in the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors from 4,991 Swiss men aged 18-25 years. The assessment included the Short Form of the Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA-8), classic markers of achieved adulthood (e.g., financial independence, stable relationship), and psychosocial well-being. Structural equation models (SEMs) were conducted to test the association between measures of emerging adulthood and psychosocial well-being. Overall, the results highlighted contrasting associations of measures of emerging adulthood and psychosocial well-being. Youths facing negative psychological states (dimension "negativity") and exploring life without knowing how to define themselves (dimension "identity exploration") had a decreased psychosocial well-being. On the contrary, youths exploring many opportunities with an optimistic perspective (dimension "experimentation") had an increased psychosocial well-being. By contrast, classic markers of adulthood were less related to psychosocial well-being. The IDEA-8 Scale appeared to be a useful screening tool for identifying vulnerable youths, and emerging adulthood should be measured with a focus on the psychological states associated with this period. This information may be valuable for mental health systems that have not yet adapted to emerging adults' needs.
authors: 1 Life Course and Social Inequality Research Centre, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Stéphanie
authors: S
authors: Baggio
authors: 2 Alcohol Treatment Centre, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Studer
authors: 3 Centre for the Understanding of Social Processes, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
authors: Katia
authors: K
authors: Iglesias
authors: 2 Alcohol Treatment Centre, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Jean-Bernard
authors: JB
authors: Daeppen
authors: 2 Alcohol Treatment Centre, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.|4 Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland.|5 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|6 University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Gmel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011580:Psychological Techniques; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D066233:Psychology, Developmental; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: at-risk population; health behavior; measurement; mental health; transition to adulthood; well-being