172 Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan
Objectives
After reading this chapter the reader will be able to:■ Understand the variety of losses that may occur in young adulthood and
how they differ from adults in other life phases.
■ Describe how the developmental tasks of young adulthood influence how a
young adult might cope with grief and loss.
■ Define how theories of loss/grief/bereavement influence practice with
young adults.Developmental Crisis: Intimacy Versus Isolation
Biological Development
It is difficult to draw a line between the biological and neurological develop-
ments of emerging adulthood (EA) and those of young adulthood. As emerg-
ing adults move into young adulthood (approximately age 25), it seems the
cortical pruning and thinning of adolescence and EA leads to a subsequent
calming of the creativity and “divergent thinking” characteristic of adoles-
cence (Cousijn, Koolschijn, Zanolie, Kleibeuker, & Crone, 2014). We often think
of young adulthood as a time of stable health with few overt changes; young
adults are often at the pinnacle of their health. One interesting suggestion from
a Swedish study is that the way one lives in young adulthood will have greater
impact on future health than many assumed. While many understand the con-
cept that physical activity over the lifespan influences health, Gustafsson et al.
(2014) found that the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhood one
lives in during young adulthood (ages 16–43 for their study) played a role
in allostatic load (a variable defined by health risk criteria). Poorer neighbor-
hoods in young adulthood meant poorer health in later adulthood, especially
for men. Therefore, young adulthood is not only a time of generally good
health, but also a foundation for future health as well.Psychological Development
The development of intimate relationships is an important task for young
adults. Intimacy reflects the capacity to experience an open, supportive
relationship without the fear of losing one’s own identity in the process
(Newman & Newman, 2006). Intimacy implies the capacity for mutual empa-
thy and mutual regulation of needs—the capacity to give and receive plea-
sure. An intimate relationship encourages the disclosure of personal feelings
and the sharing of plans and ideas. Intimacy allows two young people to feel
meaningful and special to one another. In order to move toward the estab-
lishment of an intimate relationship, an adult’s need for personal gratification
has to be subordinated (at times) to his or her needs for mutual satisfaction.
Young adults try out relationships and connect in new ways that allow them
to experiment with levels of togetherness and differentiation.