Risk Factors and Trajectories of Highly Dependent Adult Children (Failure to Launch): An Add Health Study

The risk factors and trajectories of ‘failure to launch’ (FTL; i.e., adults who depend on their parents while not in employment or higher education) are not well understood. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we compared two groups: adults with FTL (N = 641) and without FTL (N = 8993). Academic, social, psychiatric, behavioral, and physical risk factors were examined by comparing the groups during adolescence (ages 12-18). FTL trajectories were examined by comparing participants’ functioning at ages 18-26 and 26-32. Results indicated that adolescents who later experienced FTL encountered more academic challenges, deficits in social functioning, behaviors typically associated with FTL, mental health issues, and puberty delays. Furthermore, adults with FTL had poorer outcomes six and thirteen years later. These findings suggest that FTL is a persistent phenomenon with identifiable risk factors, highlighting the potential benefits of targeted adolescent mental health and academic support interventions.