Clinton Valerio

PSY 1110

Flynt

Spring 2018

Reflection – Depression in Emerging Adulthood

The American Psychology Association (APA) defines emerging adulthood as a period of
life when a person is between the ages of 18-29. During this stage of development, many
people have a sense of “feeling in between"—leaving the struggles of adolescence and starting
to feel responsible for themselves, but still closely tied to their parents and family (Munsey,
2006).
Because of this “in-between” feeling, emerging adults may have a hard time coping with
some of the stressors that life has to offer. They may feel a sense of displacement in the world
because they are still young and not yet established. They may also feel like they have not had
the life-experiences that most of the older generation has had, and finding their place in this
world may seem like a very daunting. To an emerging adult any decision they make may seem
like it will alter their future and because of these aspects, depression is a major concern for
emerging adults.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines depression as a
depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities for more than two weeks. It
also states mood represents a change from the person’s baseline. Social, occupational, and
education impairment is another aspect of defining depression. A person also has to meet at
least five of the nine symptoms of depression in order to be diagnosed with the disease. These
symptoms include:

 Depressed mood or irritable

 Decreased interest or pleasure
 Significant weight changes
 Insomnia
 Change in activity
 Fatigue
 Feelings of worthlessness
 Diminished concentration
 Recurrent thoughts of death
(Bressert, 2018)
6.7% of the U.S. population (16.1 million people) age 18 and older are diagnosed with
depression in a given year. (“Facts and Statistics”). As my infographic states, there are five
features to emerging adulthood and they may provide an explanation as to why depression
occurs in this age group. The first feature is known as the age of identity exploration. Emerging
Clinton Valerio

PSY 1110

Flynt

Spring 2018

adults are exploring who they are and what they want out of life. This can include decisions for
schools, career choices, potential lovers, etc. (Munsey, 2006). Knowing your identity and
choosing the right path is something that everyone has to face; however, someone who is at
the crossroads of adolescence and adulthood may find that these decisions can be very difficult
to cope with. Not have a sense of self only magnifies the difficulty of coping.
The next feature of emerging adulthood is called the age of instability (Munsey, 2006).
Emerging adults may find that the stable routine of someone telling them what to do, where to
be, what to eat, etc. may now be gone and they are forced to make those decisions on their
own. The age could be referred to as the sink or swim age in that the person going through it
either make it through or not. Having this type of freedom and not having a direction in which
to point may cause some people to think that they will not succeed and therefore depression
might manifest.
The third feature is called the age of self-focus. This age kind of goes hand-in-hand with
the first age in that a person is focusing on himself or herself and exploring every possibility
they can (Munsey, 2006.) Moreover, just like the first age, not knowing who you are or where
you are going can be detrimental to someone’s confidence and self-efficacy.
The fourth feature of emerging adulthood is known as the age of feeling in between
(Munsey, 2006). People in this age group are often victims of ageism because people do not see
them as full-fledged adults. Therefore, while a person may see himself or herself as an adult
society, on the other hand, may not and a feeling of worthlessness may set in.
The final age of emerging adulthood is called the age of possibilities. (Munsey, 2006).
People in this age group believe that they can have better lives than their parents did.
Dreaming about their future is something that can bring great joy to their lives. However, some
emerging adults come to the harsh reality that some dreams do not come true. We are told
from a very young age that we can be whatever we want to be, but no one ever tells us that
that statement is very untrue. People who experience may find a lack of interest in things they
once had and that sense of worthlessness may set in.
Going back to my infographic, it states that one in four emerging adults will experience a
depressive episode between the ages of 18-25. In addition, emerging adults with depression
are more likely to experience problems with marriage and parenting, substance abuse, lower
career satisfaction, and lower levels of educational achievement compared to people their own
age who are not depressed. (Kuwabara, Van Vorhees, Gollan, Alexander, 2007). Furthermore,
people in this age group may not seek treatment for the disease due to the stigma of the
disease, lack of financial support for treatment, familial concerns, and feeling like a failure.
Clinton Valerio

PSY 1110

Flynt

Spring 2018

Depression is treatable and there are ways to combat the disease that include:

 Reaching out and staying connected to people in our lives.

 Continuing to participate in activities that bring us joy and happiness.
 Exercising
 Maintaining a healthy diet
 Challenge negative thoughts
 Seek professional help
(Smith, Robinson, Shubin, and Segal, 2018).
People need to know that mental health and talking about mental health is something
that we should not be afraid to do. I think that many people believe that having a mental health
issue is different from physiological or physical issues because we cannot see the problem, and
if we cannot see it then it must not be there. Having conversations about mental disorders, like
depression brings awareness to the disease and we are able to recognize the signs and
symptoms. With the end goal of getting the help needed, either for ourselves or for someone
we know, before it is too late.
There are free hotlines available to anyone the needs to talk to someone. Here are just a
few:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
1-800-626-HELP (4357)
National Hopeline Network
1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
(Depression Hotline Number, 2017)
Clinton Valerio

PSY 1110

Flynt

Spring 2018

Works Cited
Bressert, Steve. “Depression Symptoms (Major Depressive Disorder).” Psych Central, 3 Mar.
2018, psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/depression-symptoms-major-depressive-
disorder/.
“Depression Hotline Number.” Mental Help Depression Hotline Number Comments, 30 May
2017, www.mentalhelp.net/articles/depression-hotline/.
“Facts & Statistics.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/about-
adaa/press-room/facts-statistics.
Kuwabara, Sachiko A, et al. “A Qualitative Exploration of Depression in Emerging Adulthood:
Disorder, Development, and Social Context.” General Hospital Psychiatry, U.S. National
Library of Medicine, 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769013/.
Munsey, Christopher. “Emerging Adults: The in-between Age.” Monitor on Psychology,
American Psychological Association, June 2006,
www.apa.org/monitor/jun06/emerging.aspx.
Smith, Melinda, et al. “Coping with Depression.” Coping with Depression: Tips for Overcoming
Depression One Step at a Time, HELPGUIDE.ORG, Mar. 2018,
www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/coping-with-depression.htm.