Welcome to the 21st WCP Virtual Congress Program Scheduling

Emerging adulthood is a relatively recently defined developmental period, set between adolescence and full adulthood, and marked by still ongoing significant bio-psycho-social changes. The recent research has been showing that the dynamic change of brain and mind on one hand, and the increased exposure to certain psychosocial stressors, on the other hand, may result in specific sensitivity and proneness to mental health dysfunction in this age. Therefore, this age may also represent a window of specific opportunity for universal, selective, and indicated prevention actions. However, the majority of preventive initiatives are related to the earlier developmental phases of childhood and adolescence, while the prevention science in emerging adulthood is still – emerging. This symposium is aimed to contribute to this topic by presenting three different facets of prevention in this age group. The first presentation will consider the emerging adulthood period from a more universal prevention lens, particularly highlighting the role of diet, physical activity, and other health behaviours in mental health outcomes, considering the prevention challenges, opportunities, and new research directions. The second presentation will give a look into the emotion regulation vulnerabilities and opportunities in emerging adulthood observing both patient and community subpopulations, with special focus on the role of relationships with parents and intergenerational patterns. The final presentation will focus on indicated prevention strategies in young persons with the first episode psychosis (FEP), discussing the role of psychoeducation as the important tool of prevention in FEP.