Why is the transition from adolescence to adulthood especially challenging?
Katelin Ferrell is 17 and has struggled with depression and behavioral health problems since grade school.1 She and her mother thought county officials would help them find a “safe place,” a mental health facility where she could get professional therapy. Instead, Katelin wound up in a county correctional facility, where staff often behave more like prison guards than therapists. Show
For the 11 months since he turned 18, Matthew Hoff has drifted through a circuit of hospitals, homeless shelters, and jails.2 Matthew was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental illnesses. He also uses methamphetamine. Fearing for his life, his mother begged police to evaluate her son for an involuntary, 72-hour, psychiatric hold, but was told that Matthew is not “gravely disabled.” The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a vulnerable period when young people take their first definitive steps toward independence and begin to enter their new role as adults. It is also a period when serious mental disorders can begin to manifest, and the temptation to use drugs and alcohol is enhanced by newfound freedom and peer pressure. By the time they are high school seniors, almost 70% of students have tried alcohol, half have taken an illegal drug, and more than 20% have used a prescription drug for non-medical purposes.3 Data clearly show that we need to focus on helping young people:
In April 2015, the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research (JBHS&R) addressed this critical problem with a special issue devoted to “Interventions for Emerging Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions.” Then, I promised you that the National Council was committed to advocating for policy changes that will ensure patients’ access at all points along the spectrum of mental illness. Now, I am pleased to share some progress and initiatives.
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Corresponding authorCorrespondence to Linda Rosenberg MSW. Rights and permissionsReprints and Permissions About this articleCite this articleRosenberg, L. Bridging the Gap Between Adolescence and Adulthood: the Challenges of Emerging Adults. J Behav Health Serv Res 43, 518–520 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-016-9535-6 Why is transitioning to adulthood especially challenging?Emotional Adjustment
Emotions play a huge role in why transitioning to adulthood can be difficult at times. Dealing with new responsibilities, uncertainties, all while balancing a social life, can be exhausting and emotionally draining.
What are some of the challenges people typically experience when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood?1 As a result, many young people experience hardships such as poverty, disconnection, employment instability, food insecurity, health needs, and housing instability.
What is the transition from adolescence to adulthood like?During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, increasing maturity comes with expectations that one will take responsibility for oneself, make independent decisions, and become self-sufficient (Arnett 2000).
What are some challenges people face on their journey to adulthood?One of life's most complicated transitions is moving through the teen years into adulthood. Challenges include: figuring out how to make your own decisions and be your own person, learning to manage your health, and deciding how you want to live and what you want to do as an adult.
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