Response to Ask a Question!

Jeremy,

Thank you for your question.  You are facing a very stressful time in your life.  The many decisions and responsibilities facing a transitioning young adult can be challenging.  Research has shows that having positive self-esteem can help during these critical transitional years (Wagner, Ludtke, Jonkmann & Trautwein, 2013).  The good news is that they have found that, self-esteem showed a gradual increase during the transitional years.  Next they found that having a partnership (having a significant other is a big help), another help was having the Big Five personality characteristics helped to create greater to self-esteem development in emerging adulthood. Last they found that there were gender-specific associations between self-esteem and partnership status. While most young adults show an increase in self-esteem and they also showed a great deal more interdependencies.  This interdependency helped to make them more able to accomplish age-specific challenges in the transition to young adulthood (Wagner et al., 2013).  It is interesting to note that males on average had much higher self-esteem than females (Wagner et al., 2013). 

The transition to adulthood between the ages of 18 and 30 involves significant psychological development with regard to intimacy, identity, work, and parenthood. In recent years we have seen this phase of life last longer since many are choosing to postpone marriage. 

In a  three-wave longitudinal study done by Hopwood, Donnellan, Blonigen, Krueger, McGue, Iacono, & Burt, they found several recurring themes,  first, transition takes time as individuals negotiate aspects of identity development and gradually assume adult roles and responsibilities.  Second, on average, more demographic transitions occur during the years between 18 and 30 than any others in the life course.  Third, there appears to be a considerable amount of variability among individuals in terms of the sequencing of the life transitions between adolescence and adulthood (Hopwood, Donnellan, Blonigen, Krueger, McGue, Iacono, & Burt, 2011).

Young adulthood is a life period in which a person encounters several tasks regarding social-structural changes that will shape the immediate and the future life course, such as getting a good education.  There are three structural characteristics that are salient tasks of this time. First, one of the major structural challenges of late adolescence and young adulthood is to become more independent of one’s parents.   A second task of this life period is to establish a long-term romantic relationship. The third structural task with high priority in this life period is to pave a career path. Finishing school opens up the possibility of diverse educational pathways such as deciding to invest in further education (Wagner et al., 2013). 

It has been found that support from family, siblings, spouses and friends during the transiting years are related to more positive outcomes and less depression (Pettit, Roberts, Lewinsohn, Seeley, & Yaroslavsky, 2011).  The bottom line is that you first need to love and cherish yourself.  Then work daily on being positive.  Remember that you are not alone in this journey and rely on family and friends for support during this time.  The good news is that many have traveled this path before and many will follow you.  Most of all enjoy the journey.   

Shirley

Hopwood, C. J., Donnellan, M. B., Blonigen, D. M., Krueger, R. F., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & Burt, S. A. (2011). Genetic and environmental influences on personality trait stability and growth during the transition to adulthood: A three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(3), 545-556. doi: 10.1037/a0022409

Pettit, J. W., Roberts, R. E., Lewinsohn, P. M., Seeley, J. R., & Yaroslavsky, I. (2011). Developmental relations between perceived social support and depressive symptoms through emerging adulthood: Blood is thicker than water. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(1), 127-136. doi: 10.1037/a0022320

Wagner, J., Lüdtke, O., Jonkmann, K., & Trautwein, U. (2013). Cherish yourself: Longitudinal patterns and conditions of self-esteem change in the transition to young adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(1), 148-163. doi: 10.1037/a0029680