A Latent Class Analysis of Adolescents in First-Year University: Associations with Psychosocial Adjustment Throughout th
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EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
A Latent Class Analysis of Adolescents in First-Year University: Associations with Psychosocial Adjustment Throughout the Emerging Adult Period and Post-University Outcomes Teena Willoughby
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Taylor Heffer1 Victoria W. Dykstra1 Hamnah Shahid1 Joelle Braccio1 ●
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Received: 3 August 2020 / Accepted: 5 September 2020 / Published online: 21 September 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The long-term outcomes for adolescents who struggle in first-year university remain unexplored. This 7-year longitudinal study aimed to identify distinct groups of adolescents based on their characteristics/behaviors in first-year university, and then assess whether these groups differ in psychosocial adjustment trajectories (i.e., mental health, positive relationships) throughout the emerging adult period, as well as in graduation rates, employment characteristics, and reflections on time spent at university. Participants (N = 1017; 71% female; Year 1 Mage = 19 years) enrolled in a Canadian university completed a survey annually for 7 years. Four groups in Year 1 were identified: Good Students who exhibited no difficulties; Sensation-Seeking who prioritized social engagement and substance use over academic engagement but reported no psychological adjustment difficulties; Struggling Students who had the most difficulties; and Club Involved who exhibited high club involvement. The Struggling Students Group continued to have more psychosocial adjustment difficulties than the other groups during and after university, were more likely to drop out of university, and to later have less job satisfaction. This group requires the most support. Consideration also should be given to the Sensation-Seeking Group, as they reported a lack of academic motivation (and regret about that later) and also were more likely to drop out of university. At the same time, they may be more difficult to target given that they did not report psychosocial difficulties. Overall, the findings highlight the need for early support and discourage a ‘one-size fits all’ method for promoting psychosocial adjustment. Keywords
Late adolescents Emerging adults Psychosocial adjustment trajectories University Post-university outcomes ●
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Introduction Higher education (e.g., university) is thought to predict subsequent psychosocial adjustment, such as mental health and positive relationships (Pascarella and Terenzini 2005). At the same time, the transition to and from university often involves considerable instability (e.g., leaving home, frequent residential moves, creating new social networks, etc.). While many students navigate this transition successfully, others experience difficulties. The reasons why some students experience vulnerability during this transitional period likely are diverse and multifaceted (Baltes et al. 1998). One way to assess this diversity is to uncover groups of
* Teena Willoughby [email protected] 1
Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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