A Systematic Literature Review of Psychological Factors Influencin Future Anxiety Among Emerging Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/ijphs.v4i2.2114Keywords:
Emerging Adulthood, Self-Efficacy, Future Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, Emotion Regulation, ResilienceAbstract
Future anxiety is an emotional condition characterized by fear, doubt, and worry regarding the possibility of negative events occurring in the future. This condition is commonly experienced by emerging adults, particularly those aged 20–29 years, as they encounter various developmental demands and uncertainties related to education, career, and social roles. Given its substantial impact on mental well-being, identifying the psychological factors that influence future anxiety is essential. This study aims to identify, classify, and synthesize the psychological factors associated with future anxiety among emerging adults. The study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method following the PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches were conducted through reputable international databases, namely ScienceDirect, MDPI, Frontiers, and Springer, with inclusion criteria limited to original research articles published between 2021 and 2026. A total of 20 articles were analyzed using thematic mapping techniques. The findings indicate that future anxiety is influenced by both cognitive-dispositional factors and macro-environmental factors. Risk factors include intolerance of uncertainty, pessimism, depressive symptoms, career-related stress, social isolation, low sense of belonging, helicopter parenting, and concerns regarding global crises. In contrast, protective factors include resilience, self-efficacy, and adaptive emotion regulation. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening internal psychological resources through interventions focused on emotion regulation, enhancement of self-efficacy, and support for career transition processes.
References
Ahmad, M., Akhtar, N., Jabeen, G., Irfan, M., Khalid Anser, M., Wu, H., & Işık, C. (2021). Intention-based critical factors affecting willingness to adopt novel coronavirus prevention in Pakistan: Implications for future pandemics. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 6167. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116167
An, J. S., & Suh, K. H. (2025). Predictors of expectations for the future among young Korean adults. Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 391. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030391
Awad, E., Malaeb, D., Fekih-Romdhane, F., Hallit, S., & Obeid, S. (2024). The moderating effect of psychological distress in the association between temperament and dark future among young adults. BMC Psychiatry, 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05486-1
Brailovskaia, J., Cosci, F., Mansueto, G., & Margraf, J. (2021). The relationship between social media use, stress symptoms and burden caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) in Germany and Italy: A cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 3, 100067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2020.100067
Cruciani, G., Fontana, A., Benzi, I. M. A., Sideli, L., Parolin, L. A. L., Muzi, L., & Carone, N. (2024). Mentalized affectivity, helicopter parenting, and psychopathological risk in emerging adults: A network analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 14(9), 2523–2541. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14090167
Dalmış, A. B., Büyükatak, E., & Sürücü, L. (2025). Psychological resilience and future anxiety among university students: The mediating role of subjective well-being. Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 244. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030244
Dodd, R. H., Dadaczynski, K., Okan, O., McCaffery, K. J., & Pickles, K. (2021). Psychological wellbeing and academic experience of university students in Australia during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 866. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030866
Haag, C., Bürgin, D., Büeler, L. A., Janousch, C., Bechtiger, L., Ribeaud, D., Eisner, M., Shanahan, L., & von Wyl, V. (2026). Thinking about tomorrow: A population-based natural language processing analysis of young adults’ hopes and worries for the future. Journal of Affective Disorders, 400, 121221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121221
Jung, H. W., Choi, M., & Lee, K. S. (2025). Psychological predictors of future expectations among young Korean adults. Scientific Reports, 15, 87387. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87387-9
Liu, C., McCabe, M., Dawson, A., Cyrzon, C., Shankar, S., Gerges, N., Kellett-Renzella, S., Chye, Y., & Cornish, K. (2021). Identifying predictors of university students’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic—A data-driven approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 6730. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136730
Nguyen, A. W., Taylor, H. O., Taylor, R. J., Anseth, A. Z., Himle, T., Wang, Q., & Chatters, L. M. (2024). The relationships between multiple dimensions of social isolation and anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 and older. BMC Public Health, 24, 760. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18233-2
Öztekin, G. G. (2025). The relationship of future anxiety with a multidimensional framework of well-being among undergraduate students: Optimism and pessimism as mediators. BMC Psychology, 13, 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02387-8
Öztekin, G. G., Gómez-Salgado, J., & Yıldırım, M. (2025). Future anxiety, depression and stress among undergraduate students: Psychological flexibility and emotion regulation as mediators. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1517441. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517441
Regnoli, G. M., Tiano, G., & De Rosa, B. (2024a). How is the fear of war impacting Italian young adults’ mental health? The mediating role of future anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 14, 838–855. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14040054
Regnoli, G. M., Tiano, G., & De Rosa, B. (2024b). Is climate change worry fostering young Italian adults’ psychological distress? An Italian exploratory study on the mediation role of intolerance of uncertainty and future anxiety. Climate, 12(8), 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12080118
Regnoli, G. M., Tiano, G., & De Rosa, B. (2024c). Serial mediation models of future anxiety and Italian young adults’ psychological distress: The role of intolerance of uncertainty and non-pathological worry. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 14(6), 1834–1852. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14060121
Rice, K., Rock, A. J., Murrell, E., & Tyson, G. A. (2021). The prevalence of psychological distress in an Australian TAFE sample and the relationships between psychological distress, emotion-focused coping and academic success. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(2), 231–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1883408
Sarac, E., & Yıldız, E. (2025). Future anxiety and belongingness in young and older adults: An empirical study. World Journal of Psychiatry, 15(6), 106227. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v15.i6.106227
Sun, Y. (2026). Youth anxiety in an age of uncertainty: Future insecurity, career stress, and the mechanisms of identity exploration during major life transitions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1741101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1741101
Szota, M., Rogowska, A. M., Kwaśnicka, A., & Chilicka-Hebel, K. (2024). The indirect effect of future anxiety on the relationship between self-efficacy and depression in a convenience sample of adults: Revisiting social cognitive theory. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(16), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164897
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Harvi Wahyu Putriadi, Siti Maimunah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish their manuscripts in this journal agree to the following conditions:
- The copyright on each article belongs to the author(s).
- The author acknowledges that the International Journal of Psycology and Healt Science (IJPHS) has the right to be the first to publish with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors can submit articles separately, arrange for the non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (e.g., sent to the author's institutional repository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript has been published for the first time in the IJPHS.
