Development of Romantic Relationships in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Implications for Community Mental Health
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
27 June 2014
Abstract
Romantic relationships emerge in the early adolescent years and mature over the course of adolescence from initial cross-gender affiliations to dyadic partnerships. Adolescents’ romantic relationships are important because they contribute to relational development and foretell the quality of intimate relationships in adulthood. This paper summarizes current research findings on the development of romantic relationships, focusing first on the normative stages of mainstream youth and subsequently on atypical patterns of troubled youth. Peer and family influences on romantic development are considered as well as ethnocultural variation. The paper concludes with several policy implications for community mental health.
Résumé
Les relations amoureuses apparaissent tôt chez les jeunes et mûrissent tout au long de l'adolescence, passant d'affiliations avec l'autre sexe à des unions dyadiques. Les relations amoureuses chez les adolescents et adolescentes contribuent de façon importante au développement relationnel et prédisent la qualité des relations intimes à l’âge adulte. Le présent article résume les connaissances actuelles sur le développement des relations amoureuses, examinant en premier lieu les stades normatifs observés chez les jeunes en général, suivi des patrons atypiques notés chez les jeunes en difficulté. La variation ethnoculturelle et l'influence des parents et des paires sur le développement amoureux sont considérés. L'article se termine par la présentation de quelques conséquences pour les politiques dans le domaine de la santé mentale communautaire.
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Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 33 • Number 1 • July 2014
Pages: 7 - 19
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Version of record online: 27 June 2014
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ConnollyJennifer, McIsaacCaroline, ShulmanShmuel, WincentakKatherine, JolyLauren, HeifetzMarina, and BravoValeriya. 2014. Development of Romantic Relationships in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Implications for Community Mental Health. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
33(1): 7-19. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2014-002
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