Following the Success Sequence has a BIG impact on young adult mental health

(Charlottesville, VA.)—For Immediate Release

Contact: Chris Bullivant 

New research from the Institute for Family Studies shows the remarkably positive mental health impact of following the Success Sequence.

The Success Sequence: 

1. Complete high school 

2. Get a job 

3. Marry before having children

97% of Millennials who followed the Success Sequence are not poor when they reached adulthood; 90% reach the middle class or higher. Now, new research shows the incidence of high mental distress drops dramatically with each step of the Success Sequence.

Groundbreaking new research by Yale Associate Professor of Psychiatry Samuel T. Wilkinson M.D. and IFS Research Director Wendy Wang Ph.D. shows that following the Success Sequence is a massive boost for mental well-being. 

Those who follow the Success Sequence are less emotionally distressed than those who did not follow it at all—according to an IFS analysis of young adults born between 1980-1984, who were surveyed when they were 32-38 years old. The study finds:

●     30% of young adults who missed all three steps were emotionally distressed, compared to

●     9% of young adults who completed all three steps

What is more, young adults who marry before having children have better mental health and are not only happier than those who had a baby outside of marriage (or before marriage), but also happier than those who never married and never had children.

Further, white young adults who do not follow the Success Sequence are more emotionally distressed than their black or Hispanic counterparts. But there is almost no difference of distress levels across race for those who follow the Success Sequence.

●     Millennials who married before having children are:

• less likely to experience high emotional distress by their mid-30s compared with those who had a baby first (12% vs.19%)
• more likely to report being in great health (65% vs. 52%) and feeling happy all or most of the time (82% vs. 74%).

●     Millennials who have never married and are childless by their mid-30s (about one in five) report higher levels of mental distress compared with those who followed the path of marrying before having children (20% vs. 12%). They are also less likely to report being happy (71% vs. 82%).

●     Among Millennial women in their mid-30s, those who are currently divorced and had children before marriage experience the highest rate of mental distress (33%). In contrast, those who are currently married and had children after marriage experience the lowest level (12%) of emotional distress. About 21% of married, childless women experience higher levels of mental distress, as do 23% of never-married, childless Millennial women.

READ:
Wendy R. Wang and Samuel T. Wilkinson, “The Success Sequence and Millennial Mental Health. How following the sequence helps young adults flourish,” Institute for Family Studies, September 2024
https://ifstudies.org/reports/success-sequence-mental-health

ENDS.

Notes.

1. Wendy Wang is director of research at the Institute for Family Studies. Samuel T. Wilkinson, M.D, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and the Associate Director of the Yale Depression Research Program.
2. The Institute for Family Studies is an independent, non-partisan organization whose mission is to strengthen marriage and family life and advance the well-being of children through research and public education.