Abstract

The transition to adulthood is marked by potential for both enhanced wellbeing and problematic outcomes, such as mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to identify profiles of emerging adults with different risk factor experiences, and to examine whether these profiles were differentially related to mental health and academic wellbeing. Undergraduate emerging adults (N = 903, 82% female), aged 18-25 years (M = 21.14, SD = 1.75), completed a series of questionnaires about childhood, current contextual, and dispositional risk factors, mental health, and academic variables. Results from a cross-sectional latent profile analysis identified four distinct risk profiles: Low Risk (76%), Low Social Support Risk (4%), Financial Risk (11%), and Multiple Risk (8%). Overall, individuals within the Multiple Risk group fared the worst across the majority of wellbeing outcomes. However, individuals within the Financial Risk and Multiple Risk were comparable to each other in many instances, displaying more depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction relative to those in the Low Risk and Low Social Support Risk profiles. All risk profiles were comparable on levels of positive affect and academic performance, and those within the three risk-prone groups reported more academic stress relative to the Low Risk profile. Implications for targeted interventions are discussed.