The relationship between depression and emerging adulthood: theory generation.

Depression during the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood is a major mental health concern. Developmental theories addressing this transition, also called emerging adulthood, are few, and fewer yet are theories addressing mental health or psychopathology during this period. This article establishes the legitimacy of emerging adulthood as a unique developmental period and attempts to generate directions for theory development by merging theories of depression and development at the point of emerging adulthood. This article concludes with a theoretical discussion and application of this process in research and practice.