Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large.

Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions.

What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON IMPROVING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING OF YOUNG ADULTS
• YOUNG ADULT ADVISORY GROUP
• Reviewers
• Prologue
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
  • STUDY CHARGE
  • YOUNG ADULTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: KEY FINDINGS
  • RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION
  • CONCLUSION
• 1. Introduction
  • STUDY CHARGE
  • CONTEXT FOR THIS STUDY
  • METHODS
  • STUDY APPROACH
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Young Adults in the 21st Century
  • BASIC PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT
  • HISTORICAL PATTERNS OF SOCIAL ROLES AND ACTIVITIES
  • SOCIAL/ECONOMIC CHANGES AND THE REFASHIONING OF YOUNG ADULTHOOD
  • THE HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
  • DIVERSITY AND THE EFFECTS OF BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION ON YOUNG ADULTS' HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
  • KEY FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS
  • PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE ACTION
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Relationships
  • SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
  • ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS AND UNION FORMATION
  • THE TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD
  • INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Education and Employment
  • EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES OF YOUNG ADULTS
  • EDUCATIONAL PATTERNS AND OUTCOMES OF YOUNG ADULTS
  • HEALTH AND SOCIAL CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES
  • EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT POLICY FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Civic Engagement and National Service
  • OVERVIEW OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND NATIONAL SERVICE
  • NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • MILITARY SERVICE
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Public Health
  • OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
  • PRIORITY PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • Goals of Public Health Interventions
  • SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
  • PROTECTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • IMPROVING AND COORDINATING PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 7. The Health Care System
  • CURRENT USE OF HEALTH CARE BY YOUNG ADULTS
  • TRANSITIONS
  • PREVENTIVE CARE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR YOUNG ADULTS
  • SYSTEMS ISSUES RELATED TO YOUNG ADULTS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 8. Government Investments in Marginalized Young Adults
  • YOUNG ADULTS AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE
  • YOUNG ADULTS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
  • HOMELESS YOUNG ADULTS
  • YOUNG PARENTS
  • YOUNG UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS
  • CHARACTERISTICS COMMON TO MARGINALIZED YOUNG ADULTS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE THEM
  • THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR ASSISTING MARGINALIZED YOUNG ADULTS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 9. Next Steps
  • OVERALL CONCLUSIONS ABOUT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT SERVE YOUNG ADULTS
  • A PLAN FOR MOVING FORWARD
  • CROSS-CUTTING RECOMMENDATION
  • ORGANIZATION OF DOMAIN-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BY RESPONSIBLE ENTITIES
  • RESEARCH NEEDS
  • CONCLUDING REMARKS
• APPENDIXES
  • A Open Session Agendas
  • B Diversity and the Effects of Bias and Discrimination on Young Adults' Health and Well-Being
  • C Youth-Focused National Service Programs
  • D Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

This study was supported by contracts and grants between the National Academy of Sciences and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HHSH25034014T), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (HHSP23337004), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Department of Defense (HHSP23337009). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine) and NRC (National Research Council). 2015. Investing in the health and well-being of young adults. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report 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. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.