Psychology
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The attainment of adult status in Greece is a neglected research issue. Sociodemographic changes and the severity and long duration of the global financial crisis in this country (2008–2018) may have contributed to the delayed entry into adulthood, especially among university students. In this study, conducted during the financial crisis (2015), 814 university students (ages 18–25; M = 19.9) provided information on subjective adult status, subjective adult status with significant others, achievement of adulthood criteria, and several personal and contextual variables. Results showed that two thirds of the sample felt in-between adolescence and adulthood, thus supporting the existence of the emerging adulthood period. They felt more adult in work, university, and romantic relationships, and less adult with parents, friends, and siblings. The criteria achieved most were in the areas of Norm Compliance and Independence, whereas Role Transitions had been achieved the least. A variety of achievements, reflected in Independence, Norm Compliance, and Family Capacities criteria, and some concrete transitions were significantly associated with subjective adult status. Age, gender, parents' educational level, financial constraints, and financial concerns significantly and differentially predicted the achievement of several adulthood markers. Results provide insight into the attainment of adult status in a specific cohort of Greek youth during the aftermath of the Global Recession and underline the need for continuing research on the transition to adulthood in more recent cohorts of youth in this cultural context. © 2025
Publication Title
Acta Psychologica
Publication Date
6-2025
Volume
256
ISSN
0001-6918
DOI
10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104984
Keywords
achieved criteria, adult status, emerging adulthood, Greece, transition to adulthood, university students
Repository Citation
Galanaki, Evangelia P/; Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen; and Amanaki, Eririni, "Achieving adult status in Greece in the aftermath of the global financial crisis" (2025). Psychology. 955.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_psychology/955
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Conditions
Galanaki, E. P., Arnett, J. J., & Amanaki, E. (2025). Achieving adult status in Greece in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Acta Psychologica, 256, 104984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104984
