Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Emerging Adult Undergraduates: A Longitudinal and Two-Cohort Study.

Mental disorders constitute one of the population's principal health problems, especially among undergraduates. This quantitative study compared levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of emerging adult university undergraduates from a gender perspective (1) during the initial and intermediate years of emerging adulthood and (2) in two different cohorts. A total of 383 Spanish emerging adult university undergraduates were monitored longitudinally (2015-2018) and two cohorts were compared (2015-2020). Participants completed the validated Spanish version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Mean-level and rank-order stability was found across the two waves of the longitudinal study in relation to levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Significant differences were found between the two cohorts, indicating higher levels of psychological distress in 2020 than in 2015. Women were found to have higher levels of psychological distress, particularly stress, than men in both waves and cohorts. Results are discussed in relation to the negative effects of the COVID-19 health crisis on the emotional health of emerging adults. The present study highlights the need to establish measures designed to improve the mental health of emerging adults, which was more severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis than by the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. It also underscores the need to develop interventions designed to alleviate the greater degree of stress suffered by women.

Intergenerational Solidarity During Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Psychological Distress and Satisfaction with Life in Southern Europe.

Background: Intergenerational solidarity between parents and emerging adult offspring requires more substantial attention at the present time. Changing demographic structures and transformations in family dynamics over recent decades have increased both opportunities and the need for parent-child interactions and exchanges of support and affection during emerging adulthood. Purpose: The study had two aims: first, to explore patterns in intergenerational solidarity in accordance with different sociodemographic characteristics of emerging adults; and second, to analyse associations between intergenerational solidarity and emerging adults' psychological distress and satisfaction with life. Methods: Participants were 644 emerging adult university students from Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal), aged between 18 and 29 years, who completed a self-report questionnaire designed to assess variables linked to sociodemographic aspects (gender, country of residence, sexual orientation, living status, family income), intergenerational solidarity, psychological distress and satisfaction with life. Results: The results indicated some differences in intergenerational solidarity patterns in accordance with a range of sociodemographic characteristics. They also revealed significant associations between intergenerational solidarity dimensions and emerging adults' satisfaction with life and psychological distress. Moreover, affective solidarity was found to fully mediate the relationship between associational, functional and normative solidarity and emerging adults' adjustment. In the case of conflictual solidarity, affective solidarity was found to partially mediate the relationship between this dimension of intergenerational solidarity and emerging adults' distress and to fully mediate the relationship between this same dimension and emerging adults' satisfaction with life. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is important to take sociodemographic diversity into account when exploring relationships between emerging adults and their parents. They also suggest that affective solidarity acts as a protective factor in promoting emerging adults' adjustment.