Helping Young Adults Thrive

While it is often thought that adolescence begins and ends with puberty, new research shows that the development of cognitive skills, emotional development, and social skills that starts in the early teen years continues into the mid-twenties.

An episode of the EconoFact Chats podcast, hosted by EconoFact, titled "Helping Young Adults Thrive" was published on October 19, 2025 and runs 28 minutes.

October 19, 2025 ·28m · EconoFact Chats

Summary

While it is often thought that adolescence begins and ends with puberty, new research shows that the development of cognitive skills, emotional development, and social skills that starts in the early teen years continues into the mid-twenties. In her new book 'Thrive,' Lisa Lawson, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, points out that failure to build on investments throughout this longer period of adolescence can result in missed mental and emotional growth, leaving young people less well equipped to lead independent, successful lives. Lisa joins EconoFact Chats to discuss her new book, and highlight how fam­i­lies, com­mu­ni­ties and pub­lic sys­tems can support programs and policies that build strong, resilient young people.

Episode Description