Risk and protective factors in the transition to young adulthood

Maughan, Barbara; Champion, Lorna

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511665684.012

“…Individual developmental pathways are determined by decisions regarding education, employment, residential arrangements, marriage, and parenthood (Shanahan 2000;Cohen et al 2003). Important changes in social roles and responsibilities can generate stress and test an individual's capacity for adaptation, but these changes also present opportunities to overcome earlier difficulties and to begin on a new developmental trajectory (Maughan and Champion 1990;Masten et al 2004). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, poverty and family disruption may cause young people to move away from home and support themselves at an early age, perhaps interrupting their education and restricting their future options with respect to career and family formation (Goldscheider and Goldscheider 1998). From a developmental perspective, these early, offtime transitions, for which youth are not well prepared, have the potential to compound environmental adversity, threaten coping capacity, tax social supports, and compel individuals to enter into situations that may constrain their long-term prospects (Maughan and Champion 1990).…”

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confidence: 99%

Approaching the Transition to Adulthood: Distinctive Profiles of Adolescents Aging out of the Child Welfare System

Keller

¹

,

Cusick

²

,

Courtney

³

2007

Social Service Review

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The transition to adulthood is marked by new roles and responsibilities in such interrelated domains as education, employment, and family formation. This study investigates the capacity of adolescents on the verge of emancipation from the child welfare system to navigate this transition. To explore heterogeneity in adolescents' preparation for independent living, person-oriented methods are applied to a large, representative sample of youth about to exit foster care. The analysis suggests four subpopulations defined by distinctive profiles on indicators reflecting multiple domains of life experience. Identifying the particular needs and challenges of subpopulations has implications for efforts to match adolescents aging out of the child welfare system with appropriate services.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). In this period, young people contend with multiple opportunities and challenges that can have important implications over the life course. Individual developmental pathways are determined by decisions regarding education, employment, residential arrangements, marriage, and parenthood (Shanahan 2000;Cohen et al. 2003). Important changes in social roles and responsibilities can generate stress and test an individual's capacity for adaptation, but these changes also present opportunities to overcome earlier difficulties and to begin on a new developmental trajectory (Maughan and Champion 1990;Masten et al. 2004).For each generation, cultural expectations and social opportunity structures influence the timing and patterning of role entries and exits during the transition to adulthood (George 1993;Elder 1998). In recent years, early adulthood has been characterized as a period of volitional identity exploration that involves "trying out various life possibilities and gradually moving toward making enduring decisions" (Arnett 2000, 473). However, the life circumstances of many young people may severely limit their range of options or compel them, out of necessity, to adopt adult roles at an early age. Pathways to adulthood are strongly linked with social class, as well as with the resources and support of one's family of origin (Cohen et al. 2003; Osgood et al. 2005). For example, poverty and family disruption may cause young people to move away from home and support themselves at an early age, perhaps interrupting their education and restricting their future options with respect to career and family formation (Goldscheider and Goldscheider 1998). From a developmental perspective, these early, offtime transitions, for which youth are not well prepared, have the potential to compound NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptSoc Serv Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 January 6. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript environmental adversity, threaten coping capacity, tax social supports, a...

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“…In this initial building of a new level of competence, through permanent intrinsic estimations of their own accomplishments, dominate the feelings of uncertainty and helplessness [10][11][12]. These initial events connected with the adjustment to study result in de�iciency of freshmen con�idence and self-esteem [13][14][15] as well as the appearance of the need for security, acceptance and comfort from others [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

Špelić¹

2014

JPCPY

0

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The beginning of a study represents for freshmen a dif�icult period of adjustment. Observations obtained in student counseling centers as well as in investigations of students' adjustment indicate that the beginning of a study represents for students a speci�ic crisis period determined by dealing with the experiences of 'psychological separation'. Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to prove the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study by investigating the change of students' psychological adjustment and their use of defense mechanisms during their �irst year of study. In regard to this aim the task of the investigation was to examine I.the signi�icance of differences in the level of psychological adjustment and defense mechanisms at the beginning and the end of the �irst year of study, and also II. the contribution and correlation of defense mechanisms to psychological adjustment.In this investigation were involved female freshmen (N=80) at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University Juraj Dobrila in Pula (Croatia).The obtained results con�irm the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study.i. In the investigation a signi�icant lower level of self-esteem and also a signi�icant higher level of the use of defense mechanisms were obtained at the beginning than at the end of the �irst year of study. Also ii. In these different self-esteems, during the �irst year of study, different defense mechanisms had signi�icant contribution. So at the beginning (in lower level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had lower mechanisms, such as projection while at the end of the �irst year of study (in higher level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had higher defense mechanisms such as reactive formations.iii. In the analysis of correlations among defense mechanisms and different levels of self-esteem the same results have been obtained so that at the beginning, signi�i-cantly negative correlations had lower mechanisms, such as projection, regression and compensation, while at the end of the �irst year of study, excluding projection as lower mechanism, higher mechanisms had signi�icant correlations, such as reaction formation and repression.These results contributed to the understanding speci�icities of initial studying and to developing appropriate psychological approaches in student counseling centers.

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“…In this initial building of a new level of competence, through permanent intrinsic estimations of their own accomplishments, dominate the feelings of uncertainty and helplessness [10][11][12]. These initial events connected with the adjustment to study result in de�iciency of freshmen con�idence and self-esteem [13][14][15] as well as the appearance of the need for security, acceptance and comfort from others [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

Špelić¹

2014

JPCPY

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The beginning of a study represents for freshmen a dif�icult period of adjustment. Observations obtained in student counseling centers as well as in investigations of students' adjustment indicate that the beginning of a study represents for students a speci�ic crisis period determined by dealing with the experiences of 'psychological separation'. Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to prove the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study by investigating the change of students' psychological adjustment and their use of defense mechanisms during their �irst year of study. In regard to this aim the task of the investigation was to examine I.the signi�icance of differences in the level of psychological adjustment and defense mechanisms at the beginning and the end of the �irst year of study, and also II. the contribution and correlation of defense mechanisms to psychological adjustment.In this investigation were involved female freshmen (N=80) at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University Juraj Dobrila in Pula (Croatia).The obtained results con�irm the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study.i. In the investigation a signi�icant lower level of self-esteem and also a signi�icant higher level of the use of defense mechanisms were obtained at the beginning than at the end of the �irst year of study. Also ii. In these different self-esteems, during the �irst year of study, different defense mechanisms had signi�icant contribution. So at the beginning (in lower level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had lower mechanisms, such as projection while at the end of the �irst year of study (in higher level of self esteem) a signi�icant contribution had higher defense mechanisms such as reactive formations.iii. In the analysis of correlations among defense mechanisms and different levels of self-esteem the same results have been obtained so that at the beginning, signi�i-cantly negative correlations had lower mechanisms, such as projection, regression and compensation, while at the end of the �irst year of study, excluding projection as lower mechanism, higher mechanisms had signi�icant correlations, such as reaction formation and repression.These results contributed to the understanding speci�icities of initial studying and to developing appropriate psychological approaches in student counseling centers.

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Risk and protective factors in the transition to young adulthood

Cited by 35 publications

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Approaching the Transition to Adulthood: Distinctive Profiles of Adolescents Aging out of the Child Welfare System

Approaching the Transition to Adulthood: Distinctive Profiles of Adolescents Aging out of the Child Welfare System

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

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