IMPROVING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING OF
YOUNG ADULTS
Workshop Summary
Clare Stroud, Tara Mainero, and Steve Olson, Rapporteurs
Board on Children, Youth, and Families
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE AND
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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NOTICE: The workshop that is the subject of this workshop summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
This activity was supported by Contract HHSH25034014T between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The views presented in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the activity.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-28562-9
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-28562-3
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Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine) and NRC (National Research Council). 2013. Improving the health, safety, and well-being of young adults: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE ON IMPROVING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING OF YOUNG ADULTS1
RICHARD BONNIE (Chair), Harrison Foundation Professor of Medicine and Law, University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville
WILLIAM ADELMAN, Adolescent Medicine Consultant to the Army Surgeon General, U.S. Army, Maryland
CLAIRE BRINDIS, Director, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco
ROBERT CROSNOE, The Elsie and Stanley E. (Skinny) Adams, Sr., Centennial Professor in Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology, University of Texas, Austin
MARK COURTNEY, Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Illinois
MARYANN DAVIS, Research Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Worcester
BEATRIZ LUNA, Director, Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
VELMA McBRIDE MURRY, Professor of Human Development & Betts Chair, Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville
ZIZI PAPACHARISSI, Professor and Head, Department of Communication, University of Illinois, Chicago
JOHN SCHULENBERG, Professor of Psychology and Research Professor, Institute for Social Research and Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
LAURENCE STEINBERG, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LESLIE WALKER, Professor and Chief, Adolescent Medicine Division, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Washington
Project Staff
CLARE STROUD, Project Director
TARA MAINERO, Research Associate
DOUGLAS KANOVSKY, Senior Program Assistant
_________________
1 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council planning committees are solely responsible for organizing the workshop, identifying topics, and choosing speakers. The responsibility for the published workshop summary rests with the workshop rapporteurs and the institution.
Board on Children, Youth, and Families Staff
KIMBER BOGARD, Director
FAYE HILLMAN, Financial Associate
PAMELLA ATAYI, Administrative Associate
Reviewers
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Reserch Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published workshop summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the workshop summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this workshop summary:
Amelia M. Arria, University of Maryland
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, University of North Carolina
Charles E. Irwin, Jr., University of California, San Francisco
Robin J. Mermelstein, University of Illinois at Chicago
Carola Suárez-Orozco, University of California, Los Angeles
Patrick H. Tolan, University of Virginia
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the workshop summary before its release. The review of this workshop summary was overseen by Elena O. Nightingale, Institute of Medicine. Appointed by
the Institute of Medicine, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this workshop summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this workshop summary rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.
Contents
PART I: INTRODUCTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND CONTEXT
Overview of a Changing Landscape and Profile of Young Adults
Organization of the Workshop Summary
2 NEUROBIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
3 THE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPE
The Use of Technology and Social Media
PART II: HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUNG ADULTS
4 SAFETY- AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS
Unintended Pregnancy, HIV Infection, and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections
Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders in Young Adulthood
Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
PART III: THE SYSTEMS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT AFFECT YOUNG ADULTS
7 FAMILIES, SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND THE MEDIA
Social Networks and Social Media
Impact of the Affordable Care Act
Young Adults Facing Particular Issues
Effective Interventions and Programs Targeting Young Adults
Health and Safety of Young Adults in Higher Education Settings
Military Service Among Young Adults
Psychological Effects of the Long War
11 FOSTER CARE, WELFARE SERVICES, AND SERVICES FOR HOMELESS YOUNG ADULTS
Services for Homeless Young Adults
Young Adults Who Have Been in the Foster Care System
PART IV: THEMES AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Diversity of Young Adults’ Lives in a Changing World
Continuing Development of Young Adults
Opportunities for and Risks to the Health and Safety of Young Adults
Enhancing Young Adults’ Health, Safety, and Well-Being Through Systems and Institutions
14 FUTURE RESEARCH AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Understanding the Varied Experiences and Trajectories of Young Adults
Resilience, Protective Factors, and Well-Being
Mental Health Care, Mental Health Interventions, and Substance Abuse
Families, Parents, and Relationships
Communications, Media, and Decision Making
Young Adults’ Health, Safety, and Well-Being Within Systems and Organizations
Research Methods and Approaches
C REGISTERED WORKSHOP ATTENDEES
D BACKGROUND PAPER: PATHWAYS TO YOUNG ADULTHOOD AND PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS TARGETING YOUNG ADULTS
E BACKGROUND PAPER: PARENTING DURING THE TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD
