Transitions ACR (Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research)

Youth and young adults (ages 14 to 30) with serious mental health conditions are a very large population with strikingly poor outcomes. For both students and young workers, a serious mental health condition is a major barrier to success. Research has documented that these young adults have serious struggles in both school and work, often even more so than other disability groups. Additionally, the movement from adolescent to mature adulthood for young people with serious mental health conditions is made more difficult because it spans the ages that child and adult service systems address. The transition to adulthood is a critical life stage when the learning that occurs, both in school and in the larger world, lays an important foundation for individuals’ future work life.