Stephany Acevedo Rodriguez
The transition to young adulthood is difficult and stressful to many individuals. Young adults cannot cope with all the changes happening at once and bad decisions are made. Such as the engagement in health damaging behaviors including drugs. Drugs usually lead the young adult to other auto destructive behaviors such as speeding and illegal acts. Young adults also suffer from mental health problems, unintentional pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, nurse practitioners must act on this matter utilizing preventive screening and intervention.
Young adults must be screened for substance abuse, STIs, mental health disorders, pregnancy, and more. Young adults must be educated in how to channel their stress in other activities that do not place their health in danger. Young adults should be educated in the importance of recreational activities in adulthood to prevent stress related diseases. Stress is a major factor in many diseases and actions taken by all adults and is something that needs to be addressed by health professionals. In young adults, loneliness and social isolation were associated with poor mental health and physical health (Christiansen et al., 2021). Nurse practitioners must screen for loneliness and social isolation in young adulthood and provide resources such as therapists and more. Loneliness was associated with increased odds of asthma, migraine, arthritis, hypertension, mental illness, depression, anxiety, alcohol problems, and more (Christiansen et al., 2021).
Young adults’ main problem is to adapt to life by themselves and is difficult for them. Food insecurity was associated with greater odds of marijuana use , methamphetamine use, and nonmedical use of prescription opioids, sedatives, and STIs (Nagata et al., 2021). Healthcare professionals should also screen for food insecurity and provide the appropriate resources. Healthcare professionals all around the country should not only focus on treating diseases. However, they should also focus in helping individuals in treating the stressful factors leading to the disease.
References
Christiansen, J., Qualter, P., Friis, K., Pedersen, S., Lund, R., Andersen, C., Bekker-Jeppesen, M., & Lasgaard, M. (2021). Associations of loneliness and social isolation with physical and mental health among adolescents and young adults. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(4), 226–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139211016077
Nagata, J. M., Palar, K., Gooding, H. C., Garber, A. K., Tabler, J. L., Whittle, H. J., Bibbins-Domingo, K., & Weiser, S. D. (2021). Food insecurity, sexual risk, and substance use in young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(1), 169–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.038
