Examining the physical toll of the transition to emerging adulthood and exploring resilience possibilities

University Of Virginia, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

ABSTRACT Scholars have called for greater attention to the etiologic role of stressors in the creation and maintenance of long-term health outcomes. In this domain, a focus on emerging and early adulthood is warranted given that coping styles are developed and solidified during this developmental period. Among college students, the confluence of heightened needs for social supports and influx of challenging experiences may yield the perfect storm of stressors, resulting in negative health consequences, particularly among students who are just beginning to develop their coping skills. The proposed research aims to document 1) the role of specific social stressors in undermining the health of college students as they pursue educational and career advancement and 2) the role of social supports and resources in mitigating potential stress resulting from challenging experiences. The proposed research will be conducted with a sample of 340 early adults who previously participated in a five-wave longitudinal study across four years (96% retention rate). All participants were recruited during their first year of college at an elite public institution. In the proposed research, established indicators of physical health and epigenetic aging will be collected from this sample of young adults (ages 25-30) to assess how their previous and concurrent experiences of stressors and support may “get under the skin.” Biomarker measurements will be utilized to identify health risk prior to disease onset. During early adulthood, most chronic diseases are still asymptomatic and have not yet been detected via routine health screens. Thus, the period of early adulthood allows for identification of prognostic indicators of future disease. Notably, the proposed research aligns well with the scientific vision of the National Institutes of Health in that it aims to help explain disease by illuminating physiologic processes resulting from social stressors. Additionally, the proposed research seeks to identify mechanisms of resilience with attention to nuance across outcomes being studied. A more comprehensive understanding of resilience processes and variability in how they play out among college students can inform interventions to facilitate college completion while also preserving and bolstering students’ long-term health. Given that the emerging and early adulthood years hold great consequence for the life course, interventions targeting this developmental period hold tremendous potential for reducing the burden of disease over time.