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Identity is a critical developmental task during the transition to adulthood in Western societies. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate an empirically based, cluster-analytic identity status model, to examine whether all four of Marcia’s identity statuses (diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement) would emerge empirically, and to identify different patterns of identity formation among American college-attending emerging adults. An ethnically diverse sample of 9,034 emerging-adult students (73% female; mean age 19.73 years) from 30 U.S. universities completed measures of identity exploration (ruminative, in breadth, and in depth) and commitment (commitment making and identification with commitment), identity synthesis and confusion, positive and negative psychosocial functioning, and health-compromising behaviors. The identity status cluster solution that emerged provided an adequate fit to the data and included all four of Marcia’s original identity statuses, along with Carefree Diffusion and Undifferentiated statuses. Results provided evidence for concurrent validity, construct validity, and practical applicability of these statuses. Implications for identity research are discussed.

The transition to adulthood is characterized by the assumption of adult social roles, which are well documented in the literature; however, rural young adults remain understudied, especially using nationally representative samples. Therefore, this study analyzed a rural subsample of young adults from Add Health (N = 2562, 63.8% white, 34.2% Black, 50% female) using latent profile and latent transition analyses. Latent profiles at the average ages of 21–22 and 28–29 were identified highlighting transitions in education, work, and family formation. Two profiles previously unidentified in the literature emerged, high school graduates living with parents and prolonged transitioners, characterized by living with parents and limited transitions in romantic relationships and parenthood. Rural young people most likely to be in these profiles were male, Black, and from disadvantaged backgrounds. High school graduates living with parents and prolonged transitioners also had high probabilities of living in a rural area late in the transition to adulthood. Female and Black rural young adults had the highest probabilities of transitioning from the high school graduates living with parents profile to the prolonged transitioners profile. These empirically established role transitions and pathways to adulthood in rural communities can help inform investments, policies, and future research to support rural young adults following varying pathways during the transition to adulthood.

Research examining how youth substance use is associated with both proximal microsystemic processes (interactions with family members) and distal macrosystemic conditions (rurality) is limited. To address this gap, a person-/variable-centered approach was used to: (1) identify latent profiles of family risk and protective factors for substance use, (2) test profile membership as a predictor of lifetime and 30-day substance use, (3) test rurality, as measured by school geographic location, as a predictor, and (4) explore interaction effects between profile membership and rurality. Youth ( N  = 9,104; 53% female) residing in a state in the southeastern U.S. completed a statewide substance abuse and risk behavior survey including questions about family risk and protective factors and substance use behaviors. Using latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of participants with similar means and variances on the family factors, four latent profiles emerged. Risk of 30-day and lifetime substance use varied across profiles, with the profile characterized by high family-level protective factors and low family-level risk factors indicating the lowest risk for substance use. Urban youth had increased odds of reporting lifetime marijuana use compared to suburban youth; however, geographic location did not appear to confer significantly increased or decreased risk across other substances. No significant interaction results were found. These results emphasize the importance of family functioning on substance use regardless of geographic location, and that evidence-based prevention programming that reduces family risk, strengthens family protection, and is accessible to all types of communities is important to reducing or delaying substance use among youth. Highlights Families supporting prosocial behavior, appropriately supervising, and limiting conflict protected youth from substance use. School geographic location was not a significant predictor of odds of substance use among youth. Families and youth in all communities would benefit from access to family-based prevention to reduce substance use.

For many diagnosed mothers and their daughters, breast cancer is a shared experience. However, they struggle to talk about cancer. This is particularly true when the daughter is in adolescence or young adulthood, as they tend to be more avoidant, which is associated with poorer biopsychosocial outcomes. When daughters are their mother’s caregivers, daughters’ burden and distress are heightened. Young adult caregiving daughters (YACDs) are the second most common family caregiver and encounter more distress and burden than other caregiver types. Yet, YACDs and their diagnosed mothers receive no guidance on how to talk about cancer. Thirty-nine mother/YACD pairs participated in an online survey to identify challenging topics and strategies for talking about cancer, and to explore associations between openness/avoidance and psychosocial outcomes. YACDs and mothers reported the same challenging topics (death, treatment-related issues, negative emotions, relational challenges, YACDs’ disease risk) but differed on why they avoided the topic. YACDs and mothers identified the same helpful approaches to navigate conversations (openness, staying positive, third-party involvement, avoidance). Avoidance was correlated with more distress whereas openness was correlated with better psychosocial outcomes. These results provide a psychosocial map for a mother-YACD communication skills intervention, which is key to promoting healthy outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to test a mediating model whereby competitiveness among females for mates affects body dissatisfaction and dysfunctional diet and exercise through its influence on social comparison and fear of being negatively evaluated by others. The hypothesized model draws from several empirical models, including the sexual competition hypothesis and the tripartite influence model. Approximately 218 female college students completed an online survey. Most participants were heterosexual, White, and between the ages of 19 and 20. The proposed model was tested with MPlus 8.0 using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). The hypothesized model was a good fit to the data, revealing both direct and indirect paths that were positive and statistically significant. The results suggest that body dissatisfaction may be intensified in environments such as schools wherein peer competition for mates is high and where adolescent females may feel that they cannot successfully compete. They may experience feelings of inadequacy about their bodies, which may result in the adoption of dysfunctional diets, exercise, or other practices that may be unhealthy and potentially life threatening in an effort to change their physical appearance.

Prior person-centered research has consistently identified a subgroup of highly religious participants that uses significantly less alcohol when compared to the other subgroups. The construct of religious motivation is absent from existing examinations of the nuanced combinations of religiousness dimensions within persons, and alcohol expectancy valuations have yet to be included as outcome variables. Variable-centered approaches have found religious motivation and alcohol expectancy valuations to play a protective role against individuals’ hazardous alcohol use. The current study examined latent religiousness profiles and hazardous alcohol use in a large, multisite sample of ethnically diverse college students. The sample consisted of 7412 college students aged 18–25 ( M age = 19.77, SD age = 1.61; 75 % female; 61 % European American). Three latent profiles were derived from measures of religious involvement, salience, and religious motivations: Quest - Intrinsic Religiousness (highest levels of salience, involvement, and quest and intrinsic motivations; lowest level of extrinsic motivation), Moderate Religiousness (intermediate levels of salience, involvement, and motivations) and Extrinsic Religiousness (lowest levels of salience, involvement, and quest and intrinsic motivations; highest level of extrinsic motivation). The Quest - Intrinsic Religiousness profile scored significantly lower on hazardous alcohol use, positive expectancy outcomes, positive expectancy valuations, and negative expectancy valuations, and significantly higher on negative expectancy outcomes, compared to the other two profiles. The Extrinsic and Moderate Religiousness profiles did not differ significantly on positive expectancy outcomes, negative expectancy outcomes, negative expectancy valuations, or hazardous alcohol use. The results advance existing research by demonstrating that the protective influence of religiousness on college students’ hazardous alcohol use may involve high levels on both quest and intrinsic religious motivation.

This study tested associations between problems in parent-youth relationships and problems with alcohol use among college students (N = 1592) using structural equation modeling. Hypotheses were that relationships between both substance-specific parenting factors (parental drinking) and non-substance-specific parenting factors (parental intrusive control and lack of support) and college student drinking behaviors would be mediated by the developmental tasks of managing difficult emotions and establishing a mature psychosocial identity. Sex, ethnicity and age were entered as control variables in the analyses and were tested for moderating effects. Results showed that the unconstrained model for males and females differed significantly from a model in which the two groups were constrained to be similar. Among young women, emotion regulation and psychosocial maturity were partial mediators of the effects of parent problems on alcohol use problems. Among young men, parent problems were indirectly related to alcohol use problems through emotion regulation. Implications for alcohol use prevention activities on college campuses are discussed.

Approximately 68 classroom teachers participated in a preliminary evaluation of Response Ability Pathways (RAP), a reclaiming training course for adults who work with children and youth. RAP offers basic training in the Circle of Courage Model and provides participants with general strategies for assisting youth who are experiencing challenges. The study used a post-test only design with two groups: a RAP trained group (n = 29) and a comparison group (n = 39). Based on responses to a series of questionnaires that were completed approximately 6 to 8 months following RAP training, RAP trained school personnel were (a) less likely to endorse causal factors to help explain student misbehavior, (b) more humanistic/cooperative in their orientation to student relationships, (c) less likely to use restrictive interventions, and (d) less likely to refer students to principals or counselors for possible disciplinary action. (Contains 4 tables.)

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a competency-based approach to intervening with adolescents, particularly within the schools, who are experiencing emotional pain, psychological distress, or behavioral disruption in their personal lives. LSCI is used to help classroom teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school staff to promote positive development and reduce the likelihood of negative consequences due to poor decision making. The study of LSCI in schools has been limited primarily to its use in special education classrooms by special education teachers. Although the results from these studies were promising, this singular focus on a particular student population has resulted in an inadequate understanding of the true effectiveness of LSCI. Beginning in the academic year 2003-2004, and continuing through the academic year 2005-2006, the authors conducted a study within a rural Pennsylvania school district to examine the effectiveness of LSCI as a crisis intervention strategy for educators throughout the system (cf., Long & Fecser, 2001). The study had three objectives: (1) evaluate the implementation of LSCI among educators; (2) evaluate the outcomes among students; and (3) evaluate the outcomes among educators. Preliminary results from the first year of the study have been previously published in this journal (Forthun et al., 2006). In this article, the authors present the final results for the implementation phase of this study. Suggestions are also offered for using LSCI training to support a safe reclaiming school environment. (Contains 5 tables.)

This study explores the effects of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) training on school personnel and the students they serve. The goal of the study was to evaluate how LSCI was being used by staff and whether interventions reduced school-wide disciplinary referrals. Results showed that LSCI was used frequently by trained school personnel from both special and alternative education and regular education settings. LSCI-trained educators were less likely to use coercive student management strategies, and referrals for common misbehaviors declined. Focus group responses demonstrated improved teacher-student relationships and a proactive approach to addressing student problems. The results suggest that personnel from all departments can benefit from LSCI as a means to improve interactions, reduce coercive discipline methods, and decrease referrals for disciplinary action. (Contains 3 tables, 1 note, and 1 figure.)