Collection

Established Adulthood

Submission status
Open
Open for submission from
01 April 2024
Submission deadline
Ongoing

Established adulthood, the developmental period spanning ages 30-45, is an eventful and important period of the lifespan when adults face elevated and often competing demands in work and family domains. The convergence of developmental tasks during established adulthood mean that established adults are deeply absorbed in their jobs and/or careers while also maintaining an intimate partnership and caring for children and/or aging parents (Mehta et al., 2020). Because of the convergence of these developmental tasks during established adulthood, established adults may experience heightened stress as they struggle to manage multiple demands in work and relationships. However, this period also brings with it a number of rewards including, for many, a stronger sense of self and increased social and professional confidence.

Success or difficulty in meeting the unique challenges of established adulthood has the potential to profoundly influence the rest of a person’s adult life (Mehta et al., 2020). As such, it is important for us to develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of this period of the lifespan. This collection of articles aims to do just this, and we hope that this collection of research on established adulthood will encourage other researchers to further investigate this period of the lifespan.

Editors

  • Clare M. Mehta Clare M. Mehta  &

    Clare M. Mehta

    Dr. Clare M. Mehta is Associate Professor of Psychology at Emmanuel College in Boston and a Staff Scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Mehta holds an MRes in Education from the University of Bath (U.K.), and an MS and PhD in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University (U.S.A). Dr. Mehta’s research focus is Established Adulthood, the period of development from 30-45. Dr. Mehta’s work has been published in American Psychologist, Developmental Review, and Review of General Psychology. She is past president of the Society for General Psychology and serves on the board of the European Society for Adult Development.

  • Jeffrey Jensen Arnett Jeffrey Jensen Arnett

    Jeffrey Jensen Arnett

    Jeffrey Jensen Arnett is Senior Research Scholar in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is the author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties, now in its 3rd edition, published by Oxford University Press. He founded the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (www.ssea.org) and served as its first Executive Director. Currently, he is President of Division 1 of the American Psychological Association (General Psychology). For more information, see www.jeffreyarnett.com.

Articles (15 in this collection)