Emerging adulthood (age 18-30) is an important developmental period where prevention programs can have important impact. These young adults are making significant transitions from late adolescence to the autonomy of adulthood. They consistently report this transition to be stressful and confusing. 

Dr. Kass conducted an extensive research project with emerging adults in a university setting to investigate these issues. During this research, they participated in a curriculum that Dr. Kass developed for emerging adults, Know Your Self. The curriculum presents a semi-structured process of self-inquiry that invited these young adults to investigate self-identified behaviors that interfered with their success achieving current life goals. Qualitative analysis of written self-inquiry essays identified ten figural problematic behaviors. The analysis organized these behaviors into four categories:

Social-Emotional Impairments to Academic Performance

• Procrastination
• Somatic Symptoms of Stress / Pressure to Overachieve

Health-Compromising Attitudes and Behaviors

• Unhealthy Diet
• Cigarette Smoking
• Alcohol Dependence
• Negative Body Image and Depression

Impaired Relational Skills

• Sexual Promiscuity
• Fear of Intimate Relationships

Existential Struggles and Spiritual Alienation

• Existential Coping with a Chronic Illness
• Alienation from God and Religious Tradition

These problematic issues are experienced by many emerging adults. When they are not addressed during this important developmental period, they often persist into the next stages of adulthood and their functioning as parents, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of repetitive dysfunction.

When these issues are exacerbated by histories of personal and/or group trauma (e.g., childhood and domestic abuse, ingrained social inequalities, inter-group violence), this cycle of repetitive dysfunction is amplified. In his research and publications, Dr. Kass calls this toxic cycle Humanity's Chain of Pain.

While participating in the Know Your Self curriculum, emerging adults resonate with this term consistently.  Recognizing their problematic personal behaviors as part of a larger social and cultural pattern helps de-stigmatize their issues; and helps them engage together in self-inquiry projects in which they learn to break their personal links in Humanity's Chain of Pain.

Participation in this joint learning process also helps them learn how to build friendships and community. Strengthening skills for self-expression, empathic listening, and compassionate understanding, they enhance social capital that will contribute to the communities where they will live, love, and work.

This research project assessed the effectiveness of the curriculum rigorously using a quasi-experimental design (experimental and control groups). The design also employed a mixed methods approach, combining statistical analysis of quantitative data with qualitative analysis of written self-inquiry essays.

Effect sizes were calculated for scales in the Inventory of Psychological Attitudes (IPPA) which measures the resilient worldview, Confidence in Life and Self. (See discussion in Defining Psychological Wellbeing) The effect sizes showed that the experimental group demonstrated approximately 20% greater improvement than the control group (where improvement was minimal).

Analysis of the written self-inquiry essays generated additional information about the experimental group members. The behavioral and attituding difficulties they experienced reflected dysregulation in five dimensions of self: Bio-Behavioral, Cognitive-Sociocultural, Social-Emotional, Existential-Spiritual, and Integrative Worldview Formation. Their development of the resilient worldview, Confidence in Life and Self, reflected growth in these same five dimensions of self.

In the Know Your Self curriculum, Dr. Kass describes growth in these five dimensions of self as person-centered psychospiritual maturation. Each person experienced an individualized process of growth that included learning which incorporated bio-behavioral, cognitive-sociocultural, social-emotional, and existential-spiritual aspects of self. This learning was integrated into a person-specific worldview characterized by confidence in life and self.

The responses of participants to this prevention project were positive. They had improved functional abilities across multiple dimensions of self. Having learned to break personal links in Humanity's Chain of Pain, they reported significantly greater confidence in life and self.

The effectiveness of this prevention project warrants further application in higher education and public health initiatives.

Note:

A more detailed explanation of the five dimensions of self that are dysregulated by Humanity's Chain of Pain can be found in the Clinical Supervision section.

Professional endorsements of the Know Your Self curriculum and this research project can be found at the end of the Publications section.