The Impact of Life Transition on Emerging Adult Attachment, Social Support, and Well‐Being: A Multiple‐Group Comparison

A growing body of literature has been devoted to the mental health challenges associated with life transitions in emerging adulthood (EA; i.e., a phase describing individuals in industrialized nations between the ages of 18 and 29; e.g., Lane, 2015; Lane & Fink, 2015; Lee & Gramotnev, 2007; Weiss, Freund, & Wiese, 2012). The normative transitions during this time (e.g., leaving the parental household) disrupt life roles and promote psychological distress. This problem is exacerbated by this age group's elevated propensity for maladaptive coping strategies and psychiatric risk during periods of distress (Ingram & Gallagher, 2010; Scott-Parker, Watson, King, & Hyde, 2011). Accordingly, it is important for counselors to be mindful of these challenges and aid clients in maintaining well-being during EA. Interpersonal resources (i.e., attachment security and social support [SS]) are protective factors for well-being during these life transitions (Lane & Fink, 2015). However, understanding how these resources are useful during transition is limited by a lack of research comparing their specific contributions to well-being between emerging adults experiencing life transition versus those who are not. In light of these needs, the purpose of the present study is to compare a theoretical model of attachment, SS, and well-being (i.e., Lane & Fink, 2015) between transitioning and nontransitioning emerging adults. * Life Transition in EA Life transitions are defined as major developmental tasks during which "roles are transformed, redefined, or left behind for new ones" (Perrig-Chiello & Perren, 2005, p. 170). A central feature of EA is the occurrence of many life transitions with significant, long-term implications for quality of life (Lane, 2015). It is normative for emerging adults in industrialized nations to graduate high school, attain residential independence, enter and leave college, form and negotiate intimate relationships, and begin career life (Arnett, 2004). Although each of these transitions represent important developmental tasks, they also necessitate life and role changes amidst an uncertain future (Weiss et al., 2012). There is a lack of consensus in the research community regarding the mental health implications of these normative life transitions. Some authors have argued that life transitions are indicative of ideal psychosocial development in that they may pose transient psychological challenges but, ultimately, lead to enhanced life satisfaction (e.g., Frederick & Loewenstein, 1999). Other authors have supported this claim by failing to find associations between emerging adult transition status and stress levels (Jackson, 2004; Mouw, 2005). A limitation of these studies, however, is that they used national data sets from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. A primary assertion of EA theory (Arnett, 2004) is that decades of westernized societal evolution have yielded young adult populations that are substantially different and more psychosocially diverse than prior generations. This assertion has led some authors to question whether normative life transitions in EA might pose unique mental health implications with respect to other stages of life and to other generations of young adult populations (e.g., Lane, 2015; Lee & Gramotnev, 2007; Weiss et al., 2012). Such a question is of considerable importance to the counseling community, as EA is a critical juncture in the development of mental illness and substance abuse (Ingram & Gallagher, 2010). Today's emerging adults are increasingly likely to respond to distress with impulsive and risk-taking behaviors (e.g., unprotected sex, driving while intoxicated; Scott-Parker et al., 2011), and such behaviors can exacerbate mental illness (King, Karyadi, Luk, & Patock-Peckham, 2011). This is especially problematic given that EA is a period of elevated psychiatric risk, with the average age of first onset for most mood disorders and psychoses occurring during this life period (Ingram & Gallagher, 2010). …