What is Emerging Adulthood?
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My practice specializes in emerging adult and college student mental health and the mental health needs of international students.
Emerging adulthood has been proposed as a new life stage between adolescence and young adulthood, lasting roughly from ages 18 to 25. Five features make emerging adulthood distinctive: identity explorations, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between adolescence and adulthood, and a sense of broad possibilities for the future. 
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Because of this transitional and complex stage of development, mental health issues often arise or reveal themselves during this time. More and more, we are seeing mental health in college students as an important and valid issue.
Some of these mental health issues affecting college students are:
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Data comes from "The Impact of COVID-19 on College Student Well-being," a survey conducted by the Healthy Minds Network and the American College Health Association.
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The Importance of Prevention
and Early Interventions
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“If only” is a phrase we hear too often in mental health. If only we knew what was going on. If only they knew they weren’t alone. If only we had recognized the signs. If only we had access to treatment. If only. Unfortunately, the conversation tends to be short and after tragedy has already struck – suicides, homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration.
Fortunately, we know how to act early. Studies around the country prove over and over again that we are able to prevent or mitigate the effects of mental illness and allow individuals to live fulfilling, productive lives in the community. From the influence of genetics and prenatal health all the way into early adulthood, we are learning more about the critical points in brain development and life experiences that increase the risk for or provide protection against the development of mental health disorders. 
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Studies show that half of those who will develop mental health disorders show symptoms by age 14. We know that the time between prenatal development and early adulthood is crucial for the brain. Despite this knowledge, we continue to fail our children by ignoring problems until they reach crisis levels. Instead of investing in prevention and early intervention programs and providing access to appropriate services, we have unconscionable rates of suicide, school drop-out, homelessness, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. While we can work to provide mental health services and supports and to promote recovery for individuals in need, the overwhelming number of those struggling is a reminder of how often we wait too long to take action.
Source: Mental Health America www.mhanational.org/issues/prevention-and-early-intervention-mental-health |