Young adults in times of overlapping social crises: dynamic profiles of mental health and crisis-related concerns using latent transition analysis

In recent years, young adults have navigated multiple, simultaneous crises - COVID-19, war in Ukraine, economic turbulence, climate change, and rapid AI growth - which pose complex mental-health risks. Drawing on multisystemic resilience models and the dual-factor model of mental health, we examine how individual (emotion-regulation difficulties), relational (attachment, social support), and contextual resources (social engagement, place attachment, socioeconomic status) relate to distinct emotional-response profiles and their change across three waves (July 2023, February 2024, September 2024) in a representative Polish sample (N = 1,110; 51.1% women, 48.5% men, 0.5% another/undisclosed; ages 18–30; M = 24.32, SD = 3.74). Anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, and crisis-related concerns were analysed with LPA and LTA, alongside predictors: emotion-regulation difficulties, attachment anxiety/avoidance, social support, social engagement, place attachment, and socioeconomic indicators. A five-profile solution fit best at each wave, and Wave 1 profile proportions were as follows: (1) Severely Distressed & Highly Concerned (14.5%), (2) Highly Distressed & Moderately Concerned (26.8%), (3) Highly Worried but Satisfied (24.9%), (4) Content & Mildly Concerned (30.2%), and (5) Content & Carefree (3.6%) with most participants remaining in the same profile across waves. Emotion regulation difficulties and attachment anxiety increased the likelihood of membership in highly distressed profiles. In contrast, lower attachment avoidance, higher social support, and place identity facilitated adaptive transitions toward profiles characterized by lower distress or recovery. Active place attachment and social engagement were distinctly associated with membership in the subgroup marked by high crisis-related concerns but preserved well-being. These person-centered findings reveal diverse, dynamic mental-health trajectories in times of polycrisis. Interventions that foster emotion regulation skills, secure attachment, supportive social networks, and community engagement may help young people maintain or regain well-being amid ongoing societal challenges.