In my graduation thesis, I studied the relationship between social contexts and students' mental health in the transition to adulthood. In the theoretical introduction I introduced the developmental period of emerging adulthood, described mental health and linked it to the developmental period of students in emerging adulthood. I also introduced four social contexts, namely parents, friendship, college and social media, and linked them to the mental health of students in emerging adulthood. For each of these contexts, I listed protective factors that keep students from developing or maintaining mental disorders, and I also listed risk factors that increase the possibility of experiencing psychosocial development problems or mental disorders. Through quantitative research, I examined which factors within particular social contexts are protective and which are risk factors for students' mental health in emerging adulthood. In addition, I also explored students’ representations of emerging adulthood and how students view their mental health, and then related these findings to risk and protective factors within social contexts. I collected data using an online survey questionnaire, which I published on Facebook. The sample of participants was ad hoc and included those students who voluntarily chose to participate and completed the questionnaire in full. I collected data using an online survey questionnaire, which I published on Facebook. The sample of participants was ad hoc and included those students who voluntarily chose to participate and completed the questionnaire in full. I have quantitatively analyzed the data and tested the hypotheses. Results showed that students mostly fulfil the characteristics of the developmental period of Emerging Adulthood. Students’ mental health is according to their assessments bordering on being good. However, they have more protective factors present in their lives than risk factors within the social contexts of parents, friends and college.
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