17 - Emerging Adulthood: Biosocial Development Ages 18 – 25

Growth & Strength

Body changes  Good health  Full height  Girls – 16 years old  Boys – 18 years old  Immune system well developed  Senescence (Aging)  Begins in late adolescence

Sexual activity  Sex activity is vigorous, infertility rare, orgasm frequent, birth (comparatively) easy  Sex hormones peak about age 20  Frequent intercourse (w/o contraception)- a women in 20’s will become pregnant within three months  Contraception = reduced birth rate + increased sexual activity (in unmarried adults)

Sexually transmitted infections (STI’s)  About half the time STI’s have no symptoms  Half of emerging adults = at least one STI  Increased to epidemic proportions due to:  Changing sexual behaviors  Globalization

Sex & emotional stress  Emotional stress as relationships begin and end  Emotional pain & frustration can occur from differing attitudes on the purpose of sex

Attitudes on the purpose of sex  Reproduction (Children)  More women  Relationship (Intimacy)  More women  Recreation (Fun)  More men

Psychopathology  Increases in emerging adulthood  Double that for adults over age 25

Mood disorders  Bipolar disorder  May begin in childhood and become more severe in adulthood  Depression  Most common mood disorder  Possibly rooted in neurotransmitters and hormones

Anxiety disorders  Panic attacks  PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder  More common worldwide than depression

Schizophrenia  About 1% of adults  Disorganized thoughts (Word salad)  Delusions (Thoughts)  Hallucinations (Seeing or hearing)  Inappropriate emotions  Symptoms usually begin in adolescence

Good Health Habits

Exercise  If not fit = 4 times more likely to have diabetes and high blood pressure 15 years later

Eating well  Set point (Thermostat)  Creates stable weight  Affected by: age, genes, diet, hormones, and exercise  Body mass index (BMI)  How fat you are  Ratio of weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared

Taking Risks  Greater willingness to take risks  Sexual behavior  Drive without seat belts  Carry guns  Use addictive drugs  Extreme sports  Bunge jumping  Base jumping  “Living on the edge”

Drug abuse  Abuse = Impairs biological or psychological well-being  Addiction = Absence of drug produces a biological drive to get more  Particularly common among people that die violently  Suicide, homicide, or car accident