ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2104-9108
Date of Award
Spring 2026
Language
English
Embargo Period
5-1-2028
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School/Department
School of Social Welfare
Program
Social Welfare
First Advisor
Eunju Lee
Committee Members
Christine Bozlak, Theodore Wilson, Choong Rai Nho
Keywords
Youth Disconnection, Emerging Adulthood, Childhood Adversity, Neighborhood Collective Efficacy, Urban Youth, United States
Subject Categories
Social Work
Abstract
The transition to adulthood has become increasingly complex and unequal, particularly for adolescents growing up in underserved and low-resource areas. A substantial proportion of young adults experience disconnection from key developmental domains, including education, employment, and social relationships, which significantly influences long-term economic, health, and broader social outcomes. This dissertation examines youth disconnection as a multidimensional and heterogeneous phenomenon shaped by early adversity and contextual environments, using U.S.-based longitudinal data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The dissertation addresses three key questions: (1) What multidimensional typologies of disconnection exist, and how do they reflect varying degrees of marginalization? (2) How do multilevel risk and protective factors differentiate membership in these profiles? (3) How do early adversities shape disconnection across institutional, social, and psychological domains, and to what extent neighborhood collective efficacy moderates these relationships? The first study identifies multidimensional typologies of disconnection across institutional, social, and psychological domains using latent class analysis. The second study explores how multilevel risk and protective factors are associated with disconnection typologies. The third study examines the moderating role of neighborhood collective efficacy in the relationship between childhood adversity and disconnection outcomes. Findings indicate that disconnection among emerging adults reflects distinct profiles characterized by different configurations of institutional, social, and psychological domains. Multilevel risk and protective factors operate differently across these profiles, and the protective effects of neighborhood collective efficacy are limited and contingent upon levels of early adversity and types of disconnection. These findings suggest that policies and programs may be more effective when tailored to distinct patterns of disconnection and levels of adversity, while also strengthening individual and community-level resources.
License
This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.
Recommended Citation
Jung, Jeesoo, "Disconnection among Emerging Adults in the United States: Early Risks and Collective Efficacy" (2026). Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present). 448.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/etd/448