Downturn Down Under
Mapping the Decline of Happiness Among Emerging Adults in Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6460918 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nicola Mcmillan (0000-0002-4927-7399, Monash University, corresponding author), Jonathan Smith (0000-0002-6415-8179, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 379-398 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Young (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1103-3088 • E-ISSN: 1741-3222 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/11033088241308621 |
| OpenAlex | W4407421849 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 64 |
Using data from the ‘Social Futures and Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland’ project, we analysed happiness among a group of young Australians from the ages of 14–26. Over this time, our findings suggest a linear decrease in happiness. Potential correlating factors were then explored at the following three pivotal points: mid-high school (aged 14–15), during the transition to tertiary education and early workforce entry (aged 19–20) and at the onset of formative career development and greater financial independence (25–26 years). Results show that educational attainment, relationship formation, earning capacity and confidence in the future are central to happiness throughout this period. Our findings imply that milestones traditionally associated with adulthood continue to play a significant role in the happiness of young Australians. Our findings underscore the importance of providing better support for the overall well-being of emerging adults as they navigate this complex life stage
Demographic economics · Developmental psychology · Economic growth · Economics · Educational attainment · Formative assessment · Futures contract · Happiness · Pedagogy · Sociology · Workforce · Young adult · Demography · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics · Gerontology
Becoming Adult
Personal goals, life meaning, and virtue
Guidelines for National Indicators of Subjective Well-Being and Ill-Being
The mystery of the U-shaped relationship between happiness and age
Autonomy and Relatedness in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing
Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence
Canadian Social Trends
Does Education Make People Happy? Spotlighting the Overlooked Societal Condition
The serially mediated relationship between emerging adults’ social media use and mental well-being
The Shifting Meaning of Happiness
Youth and Generation
Happy Times
What Does It Mean to be an Adult? Adulthood Markers in the Perspective of Emerging Adults
Exploring Family-Oriented Markers of Adulthood
Constructing Adulthood
Dynamics of Identity Development in Adolescence
Changes in the transition to adulthood in the UK and Canada
Youth Transitions and Social Exclusion
Rethinking the Youth Phase of the Life-course
What does being an adult mean? Comparing young people’s and adults’ representations of adulthood
Young Adulthood Relationships in an Era of Uncertainty
Adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends
Age and Life Satisfaction
How Important is Methodology for the Estimates of the Determinants of Happiness
Young adulthood in uncertain times
Less in-person social interaction with peers among U.S. adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness
Emerging adulthood
Sliding down the U-shape? A dynamic panel investigation of the age-well-being relationship, focusing on young adults
Boomeranging home
Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle
Constructing Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty
The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect
Does Spirituality Influence Happiness and Academic Performance
The Structure of Coping
Expecting the unexpected
Reaching Adulthood
Young People's Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood
The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Components of Happiness
A Conceptual-Referent Theory of Happiness
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |