Cultivating Resilience and Optimism Among Young Adults

Research brief

Keywords: Psychological wellbeing, Self-acceptance, Self-esteem, Autonomy, Optimism, Social wellbeing, Resilience, Millennials, Gen Z

Author: Dr Anna-Rosa le Roux, Worklife Digital, Update 15 April 2024

Understanding psychological wellbeing is paramount in fostering healthy individuals, organisations and communities. Psychological wellbeing encompasses a spectrum of factors including mental, emotional, and social aspects of an individual's life. While individuals may exhibit resilience in certain areas, such as coping with stress or maintaining positive relationships, there are often gaps in their wellbeing that demand attention. Identifying these areas of resilience and pinpointing the gaps in psychological wellbeing is essential for developing targeted interventions and support systems to enhance overall mental health and quality of life. As we delve deeper into the mental wellbeing of young adults, it's essential to explore factors beyond stress that influence their psychological landscape.

The adoption of open quantitative models, based on ongoing academic research has enabled the evidence-based measurement of the key psychological constructs that impact mental wellbeing. Ongoing collation of results from individuals who complete our assessment, has unearthed fascinating insights into the psychological landscape of individuals below 40 (See Note below)

Self-acceptance and Self-esteem

Younger individuals exhibit lower levels of self-acceptance and self-esteem compared to older adults (65% vs 72%; 70% vs 76%). They have a tendency to take things personally and think of themselves as a failure when one or more negative events happen. This can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, highlighting the importance of fostering a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and accepted.

Coaching / mentoring, peer support and prioritising inclusivity can go a long way to create a supportive environment and build self-esteem. Individuals who have a strong sense of self-acceptance are often more adaptable and resilient to deal with life’s challenges.

Promoting Autonomy and Environmental Mastery

Young adults scored lower on autonomy (64% vs 72%) and environmental mastery (64% vs 69%), compared to those above 40. This suggests a potential struggle in asserting independence and adapting to the changing landscape of adulthood, where autonomy and mastery over one's surroundings are paramount for growth and fulfilment.

Work autonomy is not only crucial for enhancing employees' job performance and commitment to their work but also plays a significant role in improving mental health. Autonomy becomes particularly vital in the era of hybrid and remote working, empowering young employees to innovate and respond swiftly to market trends and changes.

Fostering Optimism and Social Wellbeing

Those below 40 are less optimistic than their above 40 counterparts (69% vs 74%). Below 40 feel more doubtful and hesitant towards the future. Various organisational factors could contribute to lower levels of optimism such as: leaders that fail to inspire or provide guidance; a lack of investment in training and development leaving employees feeling ill-equipped for future challenges or employees that feel excluded from decision-making processes and their input not valued.

Young adults struggle to feel socially accepted, but not more so than their above 40 counterparts (both scored 54%). The biggest difference, compared to the older population, lies in a need to be more socially integrated (61% vs 65%). Young adults lack a sense of belonging and social participation in their communities (more so than older populations) leaving them socially isolated. With limited personal relationships to provide meaning and support their social wellbeing is at risk. Living in a society that reflects one's own values and lifestyle brings a sense of social belonging that supports and aids resilience. Below 40’s have significantly lower scores on connection compared to above 40’s (69% vs 74%).

Responding to social wellbeing challenges opens up opportunities for organisations to explore corporate social responsibility initiatives, sustainable business practices and community engagement programs as part of their overall sustainability strategies. Organisations that value an inclusive stakeholder environment that embrace diverse perspectives, encourage a richer and more innovative workplace, but also build stronger connections with their customer base.

Young adults strengths lies in there open-minded approach

Compared to older counterparts, individuals below 40 demonstrate a remarkable capacity for exploration and innovation, embracing diversity of thought and welcoming new experiences with open arms (80% vs 75%).

Open-mindedness serves as a catalyst for positive change, fueling optimism and resilience among young adults. For organisations, harnessing the power of open-mindedness in young employees offers tremendous benefits. With a willingness to approach challenges from different angles and embrace new experiences, young adults facilitate proactive innovation within the workplace. Leaders play a pivotal role in cultivating cultures of innovation and collaboration, ensuring that young talent feels valued and motivated to contribute their unique perspectives and talents to the organisation's success.

Conclusion

The journey through the mental wellbeing landscape of today's young adults reveals both challenges and opportunities. Despite these hurdles, young adults exhibit remarkable resilience, driven by their open-mindedness and curiosity. Harnessing these qualities can lead to innovative solutions and a more dynamic organisational culture. By prioritising personal growth and creating supportive environments that foster autonomy and social integration, organisations can cultivate a workforce that thrives both personally and professionally.

Improved mental wellbeing is a collective effort - one that requires collaboration, empathy and a commitment to continuous growth. By recognizing and addressing the unique needs of today's young adults, we can create a brighter, more resilient future for individuals of all ages.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at anna-rosa@worklife.digital

Notes

Note: We utilised the Standardised Mean Difference (SMD) to report large and moderate effect sizes as follows: SMD values of 0.2 to 0.5 are considered small, 0.5 to 0.8 are considered medium, and greater than 0.8 are considered large. Where below 40’s were lagging behind above 40’s, but scored high on the construct, differences were not reported.

References

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**Mental health and employers. The case for investment - pandemic and beyond, Delotte, March 2022. Accessed 19 March: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-mental-health-report-2022.pdf

***Andrade C. Mean difference, standardized mean difference (SMD) and their use in meta-analysis: as simple as it gets. J Clin Psychiatry. 2020;81(5):20f13681.

****Cohen, J. (1992). Statistical Power Analysis. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 1(3), 98-101. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10768783