Leisure Activities in Unemployed Emerging Adults: Links to Career Adaptability and Subjective Well-Being

Emerging adulthood denotes a developmental period characterized by instability, intense identity explorations, high levels of self-focus, and feeling in-between among individuals 18 to 29 years of age (Arnett, 2000). It is a transitional period of experimenting and working toward commitment and consolidation in major life domains, such as work, social, and romantic (Arnett, 2000). Given the significant challenges of this developmental period, emerging adults are vulnerable to emotional difficulties, including depressive and behavioral disorders (Kuwabara, Van Voorhees, Gollan, & Alexander, 2007). Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies consistently report lower levels of positive affect (Carstensen et al., 2011) and life satisfaction (Stone, Schwartz, Broderick, & Deaton, 2010) during this period of development. Overall, emerging adults evidence a marked decline in well-being relative to adulthood (Stone et al., 2010).Unemployment is a significant risk factor for developing psychological difficulties, including depression and anxiety (Paul & Moser, 2009). The economic picture is improving in the United States, yet the adverse effects of the most recent recession in 2007 linger. The unemployment rate among emerging adults in July 2013 was 16.3%, more than twice the unemployment rate for people of all ages (U.S. Department of Labor, 2013). Furthermore, current social, cultural, and economic factors have resulted in substantial changes in the work context (i.e., lack of loyalty, globalization), and there exists a disconnect between school and work (Cote, 2000). The confluence of these factors has resulted in difficulties with career consolidation and commitment (Konstam, 2007), evidenced by the fact that 56% of individuals between the ages of 18 to 24 years are staying at their work positions for a period of 12 months or less and 14% are leaving their job positions within 2 years or less (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012).Recognizing these challenges necessitates investigating protective factors that may abate or decrease the vulnerability to risk exposure and increase the possibility for achieving positive results (Jessor, Turbin, & Costa, 1998). Particularly, concerted research efforts that focus on protective factors have been deemed critical to fostering career adaptability (CA) and well-being of emerging adults (Murphy, Blustein, Bohlig, & Platt, 2010; Savickas, 2005). In response, the present study focused on the protective function of leisure activities in promoting subjective well-being (SWB) and CA among unemployed emerging adults.Leisure as a Protective Factor Against Psychological DistressEngagement in leisure activity has been associated with positive mental health outcomes (Passmore, 2003). Leisure serves as an effective coping mechanism during stressful life events (Iwasaki, 2001) and contributes to overall well-being (Trainor, Delfabbro, Anderson, & Winefield, 2010) and to life satisfaction (Becchetti, Elena, & Pelloni, 2010). A positive relationship between leisure activity and mental health during periods of unemployment has been reported (Waters & Moore, 2002). However, little attention has focused on issues related to understanding the processes that account for leisure's contribution to well-being (Waters & Moore, 2002).In their extensive work on leisure, Tinsley (1978) and Tinsley and Johnson (1984) established that different leisure activities can meet a range of distinctive psychological needs. The gratification of these needs has a significant, positive impact on overall well-being. To illuminate the link between various leisure activities and mental health, Passmore and French (2000) investigated the roles of different types of leisure activities, including time-out, achievement, and social leisure activities, in improving mental health. They found that both achievement leisure activities, which provide an intellectual or physical challenge (e. …