Transition To Adulthood

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Life transitions are characterized by major life events that are experienced during every period throughout the life course, and depending on some of the associated factors can have either very favorable or unfavorable effects on ones’ health and well-being. Although each transitional period is unique and essential to ones’ development, one of the more important transitions in life is the period between childhood and adulthood; otherwise known as young adulthood or emerging adulthood, both terms which will be used interchangeably throughout this review. It is during this period where children exit adolescence and consider leaving the home followed by new challenges and experiences they will have to learn, cope and adjust to. With strong social …show more content…
Authors Switek and Easterlin (2016) consider an important factor that young adults encounter as they make this transition into adulthood: feelings of personal well-being. Whether forming a partnership or transitioning into adulthood independently, one of the most important aspects of ones’ health and well-being are their thoughts and feelings on life satisfaction, not only relating to school or their career but their feelings of family as well. Family connectedness and parent support has been proven to be associated with better psychological well-being (Needham & Austin 2010). One article takes a different approach, stating that young adults support their parents as they transition into adulthood thus intersecting their own ability to meet social and human capital goals. Regardless, when it comes to young adults finding their personal identity and disclose sexual orientation/identity declaring themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB), parental support is less common and revoked. Thus, LGB young adults have worse health due to the lack of parental support which has also been shown to correlate to increased drug, alcohol, depression and suicide attempts. Although the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood is considered the time in which young adults branch off from their parents and have increased independence, parental …show more content…
2008). Compared to their adult counterparts, young adults are more likely to receive lower wages and fewer benefits given low-paying jobs thus making it difficult to save and afford things like health insurance. They are also less likely to have experience with housing matters and legal rights than more experienced adults and lack resources to help with such matters unless they have dependent children therefore making it difficult to even cope or find resources to help with their situation. Many young adults are supported well into their mid-20s however, with a family with no means or desire to support them, there has been a rise in numbers of young adults who are doubling up with friends or finding places to sleep such as in shelters or on the street. Many of these young adults are even raising children of their own. Exacerbating the numerous structural barriers that stand in the way of exiting homelessness are some of the illegal or risky behaviors in which youth may engage to meet basic needs – behaviors that can incur stigmatization, hinder much needed social support and create mistrust. Illegal or risky behavior may have even preceded their entry into homelessness. Zerger et al (2008) reports that homeless young adults have much more experience with physical and/or sexual abuse and parental neglect or rejection than their housed peers leading them leave the