Collected Item: “The relationship between developmental crisis and meaning in life in emerging adulthood: an analysis of data from eight countries”
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Head of School of Psychotherapy and Psychology and Head of School of Art and Culture
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The relationship between developmental crisis and meaning in life in emerging adulthood: an analysis of data from eight countries
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Nikolay Petrov, Oliver C Robinson, Georgios Vleioras, Figen Çok, H Kübra Özdoğan, Zehra Yeler, Kübra Berber, Katarina Millova, Saba Sajjad, Luciana Dutra-Thomé, Maria Nugraheni Mardi Rahayu, Afinnisa Rasyida, Nindya Putri Aprodita, Shefali Mishra, Payal Sharma, Akancha Srivastava, Irini Dermitzaki, Anastasia Spyrou, Emmanouela Mante, Ume Laila
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2026
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Developmental crisis episodes are common during emerging adulthood. Evidence from existing research suggests that existential concerns about life’s meaning are prominent during crisis episodes in emerging adulthood, but little quantitative research exists on this topic. The current cross-cultural study investigated the relationships between components of developmental crisis (measured using the 3-factor Developmental Crisis Questionnaire), and meaning in life (measured using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, which has two factors: search for and presence of meaning in life). The sample comprised 1967 emerging adults across eight countries (Brazil, Czechia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and the United Kingdom). Two components of developmental crisis – being in transition/turning point and feeling disconnected/distressed – were positively associated with a search for meaning in life. Feeling disconnected/distress and lacking clarity/control were negatively associated with a presence of meaning in life. The findings emphasize the need for organizations and services that focus on supporting young adults in crisis, and that these should provide help with the often-hidden existential sense that life may be lacking meaning, and the corresponding endeavour to search for meaning.
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Psychology, developmental psychology
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Open Access
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10804-026-09554-0
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