青春因何迷茫? 家长应该淡定些

By the late 20s, 'there's better communication between parts of the brain that process emotions and social information - like what people think of you - and the parts that are important for planning ahead and balancing risk and reward,' says developmental psychologist Laurence Steinberg of Temple University.
美国天普大学（Temple University）的发展心理学家劳伦斯・斯坦伯格（Laurence Steinberg）说，到了20岁年龄段的后期，“大脑中处理情感和社交信息──比如人们对你的看法──的部分与大脑中重点负责事先规划、平衡风险与回报的部分之间建立了更好的连接。”

How can emerging adults maximize their brain potential in this period? 'Things that are cognitively stimulating are important,' says Dr. Steinberg. 'Watching talking cats on YouTube isn't as good for cognitive development as reading or taking classes.'
处于始成年阶段的年轻人如何才能把他们的大脑潜力发挥到极致呢？斯坦伯格说，“能够提供认知刺激的东西很重要，对认知发展而言，在YouTube上看会说话的猫不如读书或听课。”

Even young adults who are financially dependent on their parents can practice independence in other ways. 'My advice is, if your parents are currently doing things for you that you could do for yourself, take the controls. Say, 'No. Mom, Let me get my own shampoo,' ' says Jennifer Tanner, a developmental psychologist and co-chair of the Society for the study of Emerging Adulthood, an academic organization.
就算是那些在经济上还依赖父母的年轻人也可以通过别的方式来锻炼独立的能力。学术机构“始成年期研究协会”的联合主席、发展心理学家詹妮弗・坦纳（Jennifer Tanner）说，“我的建议是，如果家长现在还在替你做你力已能及的事情，你要主动自己去做。你可以说：‘妈妈别管，让我自己拿香波。’”

Physically, the body is at its peak during emerging adulthood and the chronic diseases of later adulthood won't start for a while.
从生理上讲，人的身体在始成年期达到巅峰状态，在一段时间之内，成年后期的慢性疾病都不会发生。

The top 10 causes of death in young people - including motor vehicle accidents, homicides and suicides - are all preventable issues relating to judgment, not illness.
年轻人的十大死因──包括机动车事故、他杀和自杀──都是可以预防的问题，牵涉到判断力，与疾病无关。

Adolescent and 20-something brains are also particularly vulnerable to trauma, abuse, alcohol and drugs. Brain scans have shown that heavy drinking, defined as 20 or more drinks a month, in young people can lead to decreased cognitive function, memory and attention.
青少年和20来岁青年的大脑也尤其容易受到心理创伤、虐待、酒精和毒品的侵害。脑部扫描显示，年轻人酗酒（界定标准为一个月喝酒达20瓶及以上）可以导致认知功能、记忆力和注意力的减退。

Some 20-somethings also are laying the groundwork for later health problems. About three-quarters of young adults are overweight, raising their risk of later obesity, and about 25% smoke cigarettes.
一些20来岁的年轻人正在为自己以后的健康问题埋下隐患。大约3/4的年轻人体重超标，增加了今后患肥胖病的危险，吸烟的年轻人约占25%。

Some severe mental illnesses also become apparent between ages 15 and 25. Early warning signs of schizophrenia include hallucinations, sudden hostility and suspiciousness, blank stare and incoherent conversation. Bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression with recklessness and impulsivity, such as excessive spending.
一些严重的精神疾病在15-25岁年龄段也开始变得明显起来。精神分裂症的早期征兆包括幻觉、突发敌意与疑心、茫然盯视及说话语无伦次。躁郁症则是在心情抑郁与鲁莽冲动（比如过度消费）之间交替循环。

Parents who suspect their grown children could have a mental-health problem should get an assessment right away. 'It's extremely complicated even for professionals to parse out what's developmental and what's a mental-health problem in this age period,' says Dr. Tanner. 'If your kid won't go, go yourself and get professional advice. You can't even start working on the developmental stuff if there's a mental-health issue,' she says.
怀疑自己的子女可能有心理问题的家长应该立刻带孩子去检查。坦纳说，“即使是专业人员，要分析出这个年龄阶段里哪些属于心理发展问题，哪些属于心理健康问题都是一件极端复杂的事情。如果你的孩子不愿意去，你自己也要去向专业人士咨询建议。如果存在心理健康问题，促进心理发展的所有努力甚至都无从入手。”

Rates of depression, anxiety and other mental-health issues are higher in the teens and 20s than in any other decade except the 80s. Some experts blame the roller coaster of change and uncertainty during the youthful years. 'Most emerging adults find it very exciting to be in this time of life, but some find it overwhelming. They wonder, 'How do I find out who I am, or what I want to do?' Or they want to be a doctor or own a business and they find the doors closed to them,' says Dr. Arnett.
除了80多岁年龄段以外，十几岁和二十几岁的人出现抑郁、焦虑和其它心理健康问题的比率比其它任何年龄段的人都高。一些专家认为青年时期过山车式的情绪突变与不确定性造成了这种局面。阿内特说，“大多数始成年期的年轻人发现人生的这一阶段很有刺激性，但是有些人觉得这段时期难以应对。他们想，‘我如何才能看清我是谁，或者我想做什么？’又或者他们想当一名医生或创业经商，却发现所有的门都是紧闭的。”

'There's also a lot of loneliness and making and breaking of romantic relationships in this period.'
“这一时期还有很多的孤独感以及与恋人的分分合合。”

Many of those issues ease by the late 20s. By then, the vast majority of emerging adults find work, relationships, along with higher self-esteem and life satisfaction, studies show. And most achieve financial independence. The Clark University survey found that while 28% of 18-to-21-year-olds get regular support from their parents for living expenses, the rate declined to 6% among 26-to-29-year-olds.
那些问题到20多岁年龄段后期很多都会缓解。研究表明，到那个时候，绝大多数年轻人都已经找到了工作、爱人以及较高的自信与生活满足感，而且多数人已经实现了经济独立。克拉克大学的那项调查发现，18-21岁年龄段的年轻人中有28%的人定期从父母那里得到生活费，这个比例在26-29岁年龄段下降到了6%。

Meanwhile, says Dr. Arnett, 'It pays to relax and not panic because your 21-year-old or even your 26-year-old doesn't know what he or she is going to do. Almost nobody still has that problem at 40 or 50. We all figure it out eventually.'
与此同时，阿内特说，“不要因为你21岁甚至26岁的子女不知道自己要做什么就感到惊慌，放松心情才有好处。几乎没有人到40或50岁的时候还存在这个问题。我们大家最终都会想明白这个问题的。”