This study examined the effect of the experience of a loss on alcohol use and drinking motives in a college sample. Participants for this study were drawn from the “Spit for Science” project (Dick et al., 2014). The sample included 3,013 students (31.8% men, 68.2% women; 44.3% White, 21.1% Black, 19.6% Asian, 6.0% Latinx; mean age = 18.96; 16.2% bereaved) from Virginia Commonwealth University. Data were collected from participants’ freshman spring and sophomore spring time points on the Life Events Checklist, Alcohol Consumption items, and Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised. Participants who were bereaved between the freshman and sophomore timepoint did not significantly differ in their alcohol consumption, coping drinking motives, or conformity drinking motives compared to their non-bereaved counterparts. Limitations and future directions for research are reviewed.

This study investigated romantic relationship attitudes and experiences as factors of interethnic romantic relationships among Native American (NA) emerging adults. The study included 114 participants ages 18 to 25 years from about 70 NA indigenous groups across North America. Factors were organized into the moral, societal, and psychological domains of the social-cognitive domain theory. Factors identified by this study included four significant predictors of past interethnic dating and three significant predictors of future likelihood of NA dating among emerging adults with differences between NA relationships with Whites or with other minorities. Past dating experiences associated with strong White identity, past multicultural interaction, diversity climate in childhood community, and past parental support of interethnic dating relationships. Future likelihood of engagement in interethnic romantic relationships for NA emerging adults associated with past interethnic dating and other multicultural interactions. Past multicultural interactions was the only predictor that emerged in NA romantic relationships with both Whites and other minorities.

The aim of the study was to explore the role of autonomy in participants’ self-management of exercise behaviours and the transfer of responsibility throughout adolescence. The design of this study used qualitative description with information collected and presented using a case study approach. Participants were five emerging adults (aged 18–24) with Type 1 diabetes for a minimum of one year who lived in Canterbury. Data was gathered through three sources: a semi-structured interview seeking self-reported exercise throughout adolescence, a set of questionnaires based on four instruments, and physical activity performed over a week as recorded by an activity monitor. All participants achieved autonomy for exercise, however participants achieved autonomy at different ages. Participants’ diabetes self-management and physical activity levels varied according to their stage of life and lifestyle. They received varying advice about exercise from health professionals. Participants sought to determine their own exercise choices during adolescence, leading them to obtain a driver licence to be independent of parental transport. Three of the five met current guidelines for physical activity levels, and another met recommendations by her clinician. Policy implications regarding healthcare advice and barriers to exercise for young people are discussed, as are limitations of the research and future avenues for research.

This study examined how parental divorce impacts emerging adults’ familial relationships, romantic relationships, and development to build a basis for understanding emerging adult experiences. The participant sample consisted of 8 females between the ages of 19 and 24 (M = 21.6). A qualitative transcendental or psychological phenomenological research method was used. 90-minute interviews were conducted focusing on romantic relationships, family relationships, reactions and thoughts of parental divorce, and self-perception. NVIVO was used to allow a “bottom-up” design, emergent design, and interpretive inquiry for data analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: impacts of family dynamics, effects of developmental stage, and self-identity and interpersonal relationships. Results are relevant for Marriage and Family Therapists working within a systems perspective, by providing information on how the experience of parental divorce influences emerging adults’ state of homeostasis, as well as beliefs and attitudes about romantic relationships.

Emerging adulthood is often-overlooked in current gastrointestinal (GI) health research; however, epidemiological evidence suggests that GI disorders are increasing in this population. The purpose of this study was to first define common GI symptom subgroups within emerging adults and then to characterize these group differences with key biopsychosocial factors encompassing diet, depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as physical and social functioning related to quality of life. A total of 956 emerging adults from a southeastern US university were surveyed on GI symptoms, psychosocial factors, and demographics. Latent class analysis uncovered three statistically significant GI symptom patterns within the sample identified by the degree of severity: Normal (n=649), Mild (n=257), and Moderate (n=50). This study demonstrated that significant impairment in GI functioning emerges at much earlier ages that are commonly assumed. In addition, these GI symptom levels were associated with important biopsychosocial factors. Assessing GI functioning in emerging adults may provide important insights into understanding the development of FGIDs.

No description available.

Objectives: We investigated the prevalence of substance use disorders among emerging adults and quantified the extent to which emerging adults, compared to young adults, are at increased odds for substance use disorders. Methods: Data come from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Respondents were 15–39 years of age (n=9228) and were categorized as: early emerging adults (15-22 years); late emerging adults (23-29 years); and, young adults (30-39 years). Substance use disorders (alcohol or drug abuse/dependence) were measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. The prevalence of substance use disorders was compared across age groups using design-based χ2 analyses. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed from logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. All analyses were weighted to maintain representativeness of the study sample to the Canadian population. Results: The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 8.0%, 6.6%, and 2.7% for early emerging adults, late emerging adults, and young adults respectively. For drug use disorder, the prevalence was 6.4%, 3.6%, and 1.3%. Compared to young adults, early and late emerging adults were more likely to report substance use disorders (p<0.01). The prevalence of drug use disorder was higher among early versus late emerging adults (χ2=119.8, p=0.01). Among all age groups, males were more likely to report alcohol or drug use disorders (p≤0.01 for all). After covariate adjustment, early and late emerging adults had greater odds of reporting alcohol (OR=3.2, 95% CI=2.2-4.9 and OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.6-3.4, respectively) or drug (OR=4.2, 95% CI=2.5-7.0 and OR=2.5, 95% CI=1.6-4.1, respectively) use disorders compared to young adults. Conclusion: Emerging adulthood represents an important developmental period in which individuals are at increased odds of reporting substance use disorders. This finding has implications for the provision of screening and treatment of substance use disorders as these individuals transition from the pediatric to adult healthcare system. / Thesis / Master of Health Sciences (MSc)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and queer (LGBTQIQ) adults are more likely to report experiences of complex trauma, and have detrimental mental health effects as a result, when compared to cisgender, heterosexual adults. However, LGBTQIQ adults have excellent capacity for resilience. In this phenomenological investigation, I explored the lived experiences of resilient LGBTQIQ emerging adults (N = 11) who have histories of complex trauma. Five themes emerged as a result of this study, including (a) abuse and neglect, (b) emotional experiences during and after trauma, (c) connections are essential, (d) getting through hard times, and (e) struggles in the counseling process. The results indicated implications for counselors and counselor educators to better address the experiences of complex trauma and identify resilience in LGBTQIQ emerging adults. Recommendations are provided to counselors and counselor educators for integrating knowledge and actions into their counseling, teaching, and supervision practices, as well as for parents and caregivers, teachers and school personnel, and policymakers.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Bronwyn S. Fees / Research has determined three main pathways or orientations to happiness: Meaning, Pleasure, and Engagement (Peterson, Park, & Seligman, 2005). Each has shown to have a substantial impact on an individual's satisfaction with life. These orientations to happiness and their impact on life satisfaction were investigated among 342 emerging adults between the ages of 18-25 attending college. Linear multiple regression was conducted to assess the relationship between Life satisfaction and the three orientations of happiness after identifying the variance explained by demographics factors and personality traits. Results indicated first that each orientation to happiness was empirically distinguishable and related among the emerging adult population. Secondly, both Meaning and Pleasure were significant predictors of Life Satisfaction beyond the variance explained by personality; however, Engagement was not. Congruent with previous personality studies (Lykken & Tellegen, 1996; Lynn & Steel, 2006), life satisfaction was positively correlated with extraversion and negatively correlated with neuroticism. These findings indicate a need to understand how happiness and life satisfaction are filtered through a cultural, developmental, and academic lens. Further studies are necessary to determine the attitudes and behaviors in other countries, other life stages, and emerging adults not attending college.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / An individual’s desire to marry and ideal age of marriage, two elements of the marital horizon theory, are examined in relation to dating violence perpetration, both physical assault and psychological aggression, in the present study using a sample of 611 college students from a large Midwestern university. Looking at the possible predictive power that the marital horizon variables might have on dating violence perpetration, above and beyond other known predictors of dating violence, could reveal an important area of investigation in both the emerging adulthood literature and the dating violence literature. Results indicate that victimization of dating violence accounted for the vast majority of the variance in perpetration of dating violence. Desire to marry emerged as a significant predictor of women’s perpetration of psychological aggression only when the victimization variables were excluded from the regression equation.