Stability and Instability of Subjective Well-Being in the Transition from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Longitudinal Evidence from 20991 Young Australians

Purpose
This study assessed the long-term stability and instability of subjective well-being during post-school transition (i.e., transition from adolescence to young adulthood) and evaluated the determinants of transition stability.
Methods
Using two cohorts from a national representative longitudinal study, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth (N = 20991), latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis were conducted to examine transition patterns among subjective well-being profiles for youth from age 17 to 25. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate whether key socio-demographic variables were associated with transition stability.
Results
We identified: (1) three subjective well-being profiles: Low (30%), Moderate (50%), and High (20%); and (2) three major transition patterns among these subjective well-being profiles: stable, partially-stable, and unstable. The majority of youth had stable transition patterns during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. A large percentage of youth (52%) started low in subjective well-being profile and remained in the low subjective-wellbeing profile. Our examination also revealed gender was the most pronounced indicator for transition stability during this time period, with males more likely to have unstable transition patterns than females.
Conclusions
Results suggest that different subjective well-being status and transition patterns can be identified in the post-high school transition to adulthood, including unstable transitions. By targeting those groups more vulnerable to transition, mental health promotion and interventions may be delivered more effectively.

研究目的
本研究旨在评估青年从学业后过渡阶段（即青少年期向青年成年期的过渡）中主观幸福感（subjective well-being）的长期稳定性与不稳定性，并分析过渡稳定性的影响因素。
研究方法
本研究采用具有全国代表性的纵向研究——澳大利亚青年纵向研究（Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth，N=20991）的两个队列数据，开展潜在剖面分析（latent profile analysis）与潜在转移分析（latent transition analysis），以考察17至25岁青年的主观幸福感分型的过渡模式；同时通过多项逻辑回归（multinomial logistic regressions）分析关键社会人口学变量（socio-demographic variables）与过渡稳定性的关联。
研究结果
本研究发现：（1）存在三类主观幸福感分型：低水平（30%）、中水平（50%）与高水平（20%）；（2）在上述主观幸福感分型中存在三种主要过渡模式：稳定型、部分稳定型与不稳定型。多数青年在青少年期向成年期的过渡过程中呈现稳定型过渡模式。有52%的青年初始主观幸福感处于低水平分型，并始终维持在该分型中。本研究同时发现，性别是该阶段过渡稳定性最显著的预测指标，男性相较于女性更易出现不稳定型过渡模式。
研究结论
研究结果表明，在高中毕业向成年期的过渡阶段中，可识别出不同的主观幸福感状态与过渡模式，其中包含不稳定型过渡。若能针对过渡阶段更易受影响的群体开展干预，心理健康促进工作与相关干预措施的实施将更具针对性与有效性。