Mental Health During Adulthood Self

Anxiety is a prevalent health concern for emerging adults and the top concern for thoseseeking mental health treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the features ofemerging adulthood (i.e., identity exploration, feelings of optimism about possibilities,instability, self-focus, and feeling in-between), which may be predictive of anxiety symptoms,as well as explore factors (i.e., differentiation of self and social comparison orientation usingsocial media), which may intensify or lessen the anxiety symptoms. The study sample included598 emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 25. The results of this study suggested thatidentity exploration, instability, and feeling in-between contribute to higher anxiety symptoms.While higher differentiation of self can be a strength in emerging adulthood, and is associatedwith lower anxiety, higher social comparison orientation may serve as a risk factor, as it isassociated with higher anxiety symptoms. Social comparison orientation using social media wasalso found to moderate the relationship between optimism about possibilities and anxiety.Specifically, at higher levels of social comparison orientation using social media, increasedoptimism about possibilities predicted higher anxiety. At lower levels of social comparisonorientation using social media, increased optimism about possibilities predicted lower anxiety.These findingshave implications for clinicians and educational professionals working with the emerging adultpopulation.