Young Adulthood

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Rania Yousef

OUTLINE

• Definition ..
• Developmental tasks of young adulthood
• Physiological changes
• psychosocial development
• Intimacy
• cognitive ability
• moral reasoning
• Marriage
• Parenting
• teaching techniques for the young adult

OBJECTIVE

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• Define young adulthood
• Stat the Developmental tasks of young adulthood
• Name the Physiological changes that occur in young adulthood.
• describe the psychosocial tasks of young adulthood as described by Erikson.
• Explain piaget theory of cognitive thinking in young adulthood
• Describe Kohlberg theory of moral development in the young adulthood.
• Discuss piaget formal operational thinking as it applies to the young adult

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DEFINITION

• Young adulthood is most often defined as the age between 20 and 40 years.
• The stage may also be referred to as early adulthood. The legal age of adulthood is 18 years, when the individual can vote, be drafted into the military, and enter into marital relationship without parental consent. However, until an individual reaches age 21, there may still be legal limitations on some activities, such as the use of alcohol.

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DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS OF YOUNG ADULTHOOD

• The major developmental task of young adulthood is intimacy versus isolation.
• The young adult makes the transition from the safety of the parent’s home and the structure of the high school to achieve the tasks of self-support, independence developing intimate relationship, and establishing a stable family and lifestyle.

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• By age 21 some adults live separately from parents, establish a commitment to a work identity and develop an adult social role of their own design.
• Others do not take on these adult roles and responsibilities until after they pursue a college education to achieve a career goal.

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• In some cases, social and political events such as war or an economic crash can interrupt the progress toward career goals or financial or social independence due to military service or the need to support family members through a financial struggle.

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Physiological changes

• Physical growth in height, weight, organ, and sexual maturation are generally complete by young adulthood.
• Physical health, motor coordination, and physiological performance typically peak between 20 and 30.
• The epiphyses of the long bones fuse by the early twenties, and muscular strength is at its peak.

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By age 30

• muscle mass and body water may naturally decrease, and fatty tissue increases, resulting in increased vulnerability to injuries.
• Efforts toward maintaining good physical fitness can prolong peak functioning or reestablish good health and fitness at an older age.
• Poor health habits can compromise health at any age.

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• The heart and lung also at their peak capacity during young adulthood .
• Lifestyle choices made during the young adult years will dramatically affect heart and lung health in middle age and beyond.

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• Wise food choices provide optimum nutrition, and regular exercise can help maintain health and prevent obesity or cardiovascular disease.

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The food pyramid was developed by the U.S Department of Agriculture (JSDA) as a guide for healthy daily food choices.

Other food choice guides are being developed that propose fewer pastas and bread food groups and place certain oils, fruits, and vegetables at the base of the pyramid and red meat at the very top of the pyramid.

• Most health professionals agree either structure of the food pyramid reflects healthy food choices and is preferable to foods that supply empty calories such as cookies, cakes, sugary drinks, and many fat foods.
• Smoking or substance abuse can contribute to a more rapid decline in health, beginning when the habit starts and extending throughout the lifespan.

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• The eruption of wisdom teeth and development of gum disease are potential dental problems that commonly arise in this age group and must be dealt with during the young adult years.
• Conscientious (careful) brushing, flossing, and regular preventive dental care can help ensure dental health.

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• As the individual approaches age 30, gastric secretions may decrease, resulting in increased gastric discomforts.
• Junk foods, highly spiced foods, food high in fat, and irregular eating habits established in adolescence may be more difficult to tolerate as a young adult progress toward middle age.

• Visual acuity may begin to decline as the individual approaches middle age, and corrective lenses may be needed for reading or driving.
• Visual habits such as taking breaks from reading to focus eyes on a distant point can minimize visual decline associated with reading and frequent computer work.

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• Healthy people 2010 has identified priority areas for health promotion during the young adulthood years.
• The priority areas include maintaining physical activity, fitness, and nutrition;
• Decrease in use of tobacco and alcohol,.
• Positive mental health practices and adequate information concerning family planning options.

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The major causes of death in young adulthood are most often related to accidents or violence, and both are preventable

Young Adulthood

• Objective

☻Upon completion of this, the student will be able to :

1- Discuss major risk factors contributing to the mortality rate.

2- Discuss the influence of violence behavior against women .

3- State two health screening preventative programs important� during young adulthood.

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Women's health issues

• Cultural beliefs influence … preferred labor management , position for birth, location of delivery, and the role of family members during labor and delivery.

☻ Maternal mortality rates have continued to decline over the past decade due to the availability of health care.

Maternal mortality rates

• The major risk factors contributing to the mortality rate include : �☻ lack of prenatal care .�☻ inadequate knowledge of health needs.

☻ poor nutrition.

Encouraging breast self-examinations and mammograms at appropriate intervals can lead to early detection and early intervention for breast cancer .

Breast self-examination

• Perform breast self-examination monthly.
• ☻If you are menstruating, do the examination 1 week after the beginning of your period, because your breasts are less tender at this time.
• ☻If you are not menstruating, choose any day that you can easily remember, such as the first day of each month.

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• The multiple roles of women in the young adult phase of life can contribute to stress and the potential development of depression or anxiety.
• A single working mother may have combined responsibilities of running a household , earning enough money to cover basic expenses , finding adequate affordable day care for young children , and caring for elderly parent.
• These responsibilities may cause the young women to delay seeking health care for herself , which can lead to devastating results.

☻ Violent behavior against women is an epidemic and contributes to the morbidity and mortality statistics of young adult women.

Domestic violence can include psychological , physical , sexual , financial , and social abuses between intimate partners.

The results is often social isolation & physical trauma .

• domestic violence is also called intimate partner violence (IPV) .
• More than 1 million incidence of IPV occur each year and involve all ethnic , racial , socioeconomic , and educational levels of the population .

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Signs of

IPV

Erratic child �health care �appointment

Bruises and �lacerations in �various stages �of healing

Erratic prenatal

care

History of �minor battering� incidents

History of abuse �as a child �(cycle of violence)

Self-blame for�marital or �relationship�problems

History of alcohol�or drug abuse�in partner.

BOX 10-1

Men's Health Issues

• Men currently do not have gender-specific health care providers as women do.
• Men’s health as a specialty may be a future trend but is not yet established in most health care facilities.

• Young male adults appear to seek health care or guidance less often than women within this age group.
• Although they may accompany their pregnant partner to the obstetrician, unless they have fertility issues, men rarely seek medical assistance until a specific problem presents itself.

• The high testosterone levels in males may contribute to a lower cholesterol level than in women.
• Statistically, men may be at a higher risk for injury due to their work environment.
• Men may also smoke and drink alcohol more often, as compared with women, contributing to the development of many health problems.

• Some men may resist seeking health care even when a health problem is present or do not seek preventative screening programs.
• However, recent public education has increased the awareness of the need for testicular self- exam ( TSE ) by all young adult males as part of a preventative program.

• The highest rate of testicular cancer is within the (17 to 35) year-old group, thus TSE is an important aspect of preventive health care.
• Free clinics available within many communities for STD testing and treatment and human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( HIV /AID) counseling .

• Physical examinations have become routine requirements at colleges before a student can enter sports programs and can be the initial access route health care.

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• Education concerning the harmful effects of smoking , alcohol , substance abuse and obesity and ways to reduce these problems has increased awareness of health in men.

♥ Health and fitness clubs have become a popular and lucrative business and have led to improvements in the health status of men and women.

☻ However, nurses and health care worker must caution men concerning the adverse effects of overtraining .

Increasing access within the community and workplace to health education and screening can be very advantageous.

Studies have shown that community education and federal intervention concerning issues such as the need for safety belt use , the dangers of smoking and drinking , and the use of condoms may have contributed significantly to more healthy behavior choices .

Many colleges and community groups host health fairs where blood pressure checks and educate concerning various lifestyle choices are offered .

Psychosocial development

• schools play significant role in helping the adolescent prepare for develop and challenges of young adulthood.
• parenting and family life classes and money management workshops are examples of courses that can help prepare for the transition into adult life.
• students who plan on attending college often do not experience these courses because their focus is on college prerequisite courses.

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• some colleges have designed survival programs that help freshman student adjust their new environments and adult responsibilities . most colleges also offer career counseling and support services for young adults to help them achieve their educational goals.
• Work-study courses introduce to young adult to the work environment and help them adapt to a work milieu.  

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• There are many developmental tasks and challenges that occur during the young adult years. These tasks include developing a mature sense and wrong, successful separation from family control, initiating a lifestyle practice, establishing friends and intimate relationships, deciding on marriage and care goals an developing parenting skills.

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Intimacy

• Erikson described establishing intimacy as one of the major tasks of young adulthood.
• intimacy involves more than sexual behavior. it includes the ability to develop a warm trusting honest relationship with another person with whom it is safe to be open and express and share private thoughts.
• if a clear sense of identity has not been achieved during adolescence, then the young adult may feel guarded and only form casual relationships. eventually this may contribute to isolation or difficulty in forming deep long-term commitments

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Cognitive ability

Cognitive ability

• Intellectual and creative skills and abilities peak during adulthood and improve with expanded education and experience.
• Piaget was theorist who believed that development of formal operation as method of thinking begins in adolescence and extends into young adulthood.
• the level of abstract thinking and logical reasoning is necessary in the use of effective problem solving techniques.

• The young adult’s cognitive process involves realizing that knowledge is the integration of multiple points of view.
• This process of integrating various points of view to develop knowledge and understanding is sometimes referred to as postformal operational thought.

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• Levinson was a psychologist who described four seasons of life. He believed that each season had structure that is separated by transitional periods during the period of structure in the young adult soft season of life. choices are made such as a marriage partner and commitment to career.

• During the following transitional phase, individuals may reflect on past activities and may become unhappy because of missed opportunities or what they perceive as wrong choices.
• This may contribute to a midlife crisis experience

Moral reasoning

Moral reasoning

• Kohlberg was a theorist who believed that the individual must be capable of the operational level of thought before achieving mature moral reasoning. Life experiences in an adult role or a college milieu can enhance the development of moral reasoning.
• taking responsibility for the care of others, dealing with differing points of view of others, and understanding how their own actions affect others all contribute to the development of mature moral reasoning .

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Marriage

• Many young adults who pursue higher education either postpone marriage or choose careful family planning or child care arrangement that allow them to continue to their goals .
• today childbearing can be achieved at a later age due in large Part the advances in research and technology.

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• people often select partners who are similar to themselves in interests, values, religious beliefs, and education.
• Family pressure or cultural traditions may also play role in choosing marriage partner. 

Partner choice is thought to be based on a three stage process:

• the first stage is the stimulus stage which involves initial impressions and awareness of characteristics that attract the on couple each other.
• The value-comparison stage follows and involves getting to know each other better.
• the third, the role stage, involves evaluating long-term compatibility and deciding one along term commitment.

The generatively can be achieved by means other than parenting such as involvement in career, close interaction with family, or active community activities.

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Partner choice

Parenting

• In today society not all adults achieve or desire a family.
• Some pursue careers that are fulfilling, thereby leaving little time for the responsibilities that marriage and parenthood require. others choose to be in long term committed relationship without children, and some delay marriage and childrearing until later life stages.

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Teaching techniques for the young adult

• Successful adult learning always involves relating the information to the appropriate developmental tasks they are experiencing.
• for example, a new parent will most likely be very receptive to information concerning parenting skills. an adult in a managerial position at work may be most receptive to learning about managing styles and techniques.
• The knowledge and skills learned should be applicable to the learner be realistic and help solve current problems encountered by the learner