Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2023 Jul;64(7):989-997. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13776. Epub 2023 Mar 6.
The interval between adolescence and adulthood, 'emerging adulthood' (EA), lays the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. To date, there exist little empirical data - particularly in the neurobiological domain - to establish markers of risk and resilience during the transition to adulthood. This gap in the literature is concerning given the numerous forms of psychiatric illness that emerge or worsen during this period.
In this review, we focus on two strands of research with distinct importance for EA: reward sensitivity, and tolerance of ambiguity. We begin by placing these domains in a framework that considers the unique developmental goals of EA and then synthesize emerging neurobiological research on how these domains develop during EA. We then consider their role in common mental health problems that occur during this interval as well as how social support may moderate outcomes. Finally, we offer recommendations for advancing research to understand developmental process and outcomes in EA.
Few longitudinal studies specifically address emerging adult development and the milestones that characterize this interval. Data on neurobiological development are similarly sparse. Understanding neurobiological development during this window and its links to key adjustment outcomes is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
青春期到成年期之间的“成年初显期”（EA）为终生健康和幸福奠定了基础。迄今为止，几乎没有经验数据——特别是在神经生物学领域——来确定成年过渡期风险和适应能力的标志。鉴于在此期间出现或恶化的许多形式的精神疾病，文献中的这一空白令人担忧。
在这篇综述中，我们重点关注两项具有独特重要性的研究：奖励敏感性和模糊容忍度。我们首先将这些领域置于一个考虑 EA 独特发展目标的框架中，然后综合新兴的神经生物学研究，了解这些领域在 EA 期间如何发展。然后，我们考虑它们在这一期间常见的心理健康问题中的作用，以及社会支持如何调节结果。最后，我们提出了推进研究的建议，以了解 EA 中的发展过程和结果。
很少有纵向研究专门探讨成年初显期的发展以及标志这一时期的里程碑。关于神经生物学发展的数据同样稀缺。了解这一时期的神经生物学发展及其与关键适应结果的联系对于优化结果至关重要。
