young adulthood Flashcards
what age is the period of young adulthood
18-40
what is the transition period into adulthood
called emerging adulthood from the late teens to early 20s
what key things are seen in the period of young adulthood
-this period sets up a persons development trajectory and we see cumulative effects build up e.g effects of smoking or high cholesterol are manifested in adulthood
-compensation through lifestyle choices: attenuating the effects of primary ageing and attempting to prevent aspects of secondary ageing
what does good ageing/health usually consist of
optimism, exercise, following medical advice etc
what does poor ageing/health usually consist of
anger, hostility, pessimism, depression, lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, substance misuse
what are the main biological changes occurring in young adulthood
brain development
reproduction
heart and lungs
immune system
brain development in young adulthood
-brain not fully formed until roughly age 22, particularly frontal regions (ties into transition period of adulthood)
-frontal lobe responsible for personality, emotion reg, decisions etc
-volume loss seen here producing slower information processing
Cao et al 2004 finding
production of new neurons driven by physical exercise and environment stimulation
reproduction changes in young adulthood
harder to conceive from age 30+
changes to heart and lungs in young adulthood
Vo2 max declines 1% every year from age 35
immune system changes in young adulthood
loss of t and b cells so failure to fight off disease so readily
-social support can help with stress response and in turn helps with immune system (bouhuys et al 2004)
what are some psychological changes occurring in young adulthood
relationships
mental health
decision making
IQ
creativity/productivity
how do relationships changes effect young adulthood
stage 6 of Erikson’s model (intimacy vs isolation)
-in adulthood, people should be able to engage in supportive affectionate relationships without losing sense of self
-Robards et al 2012: single people tend to be less healthy and less satisfied
–weakness is that this def doesnt talk about the benefits of being single and person growth etc
mental health changes in young adulthood
at ages 18-24 there is the highest emotional disturbance in life perhaps due to large scope for things to go wrong and the multitude of changes
decision making changes in young adulthood
at this age people are learning to deal with abstract concepts and have to make many more decisions which are generally not black and white
IQ changes
dip in IQ across mid 30s but not in all aspects
creativity and productivity in young adulthood
peak productivity at 30-35 (dietrich 2004)
can start having ideas for yourself
what are some of the social changes faced in young adulthood
parenthood
social networks
occupation
parenthood as a change in young adulthood
-stressful but emotional high point
-brings many challenges
-friendships may be neglected
-relationship with partner may suffer
-career roles may change
-for single parents career progression may come to a holt
-transition from who you were to who you are now as a parent
social networks in young adulthood
-new relationships formed/detached
-proximity to family may change
-family relationships still remain important
-reduced number of friends by middle adulthood (quality over quantity)
occupation and young adulthood
-weighing up career options
-committing to a future is daunting
-education and family influence
-gender biases like how women are described in reference letters (women= collaborative, helpful; men = driven, innovative)
-job satisfaction rises from early adulthood to retirement (depending on job security and work life balance)
why might young adulthood be the peak time for emotional disturbance
there are so many changes occurring, its typically the time indivs go from being dependent to independent, moving away from the family home etc
might responses to challenges in young adulthood effect later life
-coping strategies like substance misuse effects us biologically and socially later in life
-continuity: coping in the past will likely influence how we cope now
what is a consequence of successful ageing
-life expectancy is increasing e.g in 1940s: 63ys, 2021: 82yrs
-proportion of older adults exceeds the rate of population growth putting increased strain on economy and health care resources
-hence the need to promote optimal ageing measure to counteract secondary ageing factors
rowe and kahn 1998 definition of optimal ageing and weaknesses
optimal ageing involves the absence of disease and disability, high cognitive and physical function and engagement with life
-disease and disability doesnt mean someone cant age well
-lacks psychosocial elements
kamimoto et al 1999 definition of optimal ageing and weaknesses
5 ways to shorten your life:
1.being overweight
2.drinking/driving
3.not eating fruits/veg
4.being physically inactive
5.smoking
-lacks psychosocial factors
mclaughlin et al 2010 definition of optimal ageing
successful agers are well educated
world health organisation definition of optimal ageing
autonomy and independence are integral to ageing well
biological factors influencing ageing
-exercise: predicts wellbeing, sedentary lifestyle = predisposition to health threats
-obesity: high BP, diabetes, sleep apnoea, heart disease etc
-diet: decline in nutrition usually seen when young adults leave home, contributes to obesity, type II diabetes, eating disorders etc
-smoking: lung cancer, mouth and throat cancer etc, immediate effects of quitting
psychological factors influencing ageing
-self efficacy: belief in yourself you can make things happen
-sense of control: internal LOC promotes action and responsibility
-education: cog function predicts adaptation to demands of everyday life, successful agers are well educated (top 10%), education predicts physical and cognitive functioning which predicts wellbeing
social factors influencing ageing
-socioeconomic status: impacts everyday choices
-life stress: impacts psychological/physical functioning, people who look after their health have ‘organ reserve’ to deal with stress (ability of organ to return to original physiological state following repeated episodes of stress)
-gender: women live longer than men, mens attitudes to health are changing (smoking and cholesterol etc) and men now encouraged to talk about their feelings so gap in life expectancy is narrowing
-social network: quality of friends over quantity, adults with adequate social support have lower risk of disease, depression and premature death
-social networking (social media): rise of FOMO, reduces life satisfaction, having to always be available produces stress and anxiety
