CAUSES AND INFLUENCING FACTORS
There are myriad factors that could contribute to failure to launch syndrome. For some young adults the cause is environmental, while for many others it is mental health related.
ENABLING AND INFLUENCING FACTORS
Parenting styles, the family experience, and the parent-child relationship can all be factors in the development of Failure to Launch. Overprotective parents tend to raise kids who display a lack of autonomy. When a child is not faced withage-appropriate challenges during the different child growth stages, they miss out on opportunities to develop confidence. Well-meaning parents are eager to make their child’s life easy and remove challenging situations. As a result, an adult child may hold on to an unhealthy attachment to their parents and the ease of living the parents provide. While the family experience and the parent-child relationship may be factors, this is not the case for all children.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Entitlement, isolation, and unhealthy family systems are common symptoms of both failure to launch syndrome and addiction. That means that when an addiction is present, failure to launch may go unnoticed.
Addiction can also have a causal effect on failure to launch. Young adults suffering from a chemical addiction are more likely to experience diminished financial, cognitive, and emotional stability. Those suffering from a screen addiction lose healthy social and coping skills over time, as well as valuable time. These additional distractions and complications in the life of an addict make it even more difficult to get or stay on his feet.
Regardless of the addiction type, everyone suffering from an addiction lives an unmanageable life. The increased anxiety and emotional turmoil these young adults experience lead to a decrease in commitments to education, career, personal health, and social activities.
MENTAL ILLNESS
Mental illness is among the most common causes of failure to launch. Leaving the safety of home is cripplingly scary for a young adult with depression, anxiety, ADHD, or who has experienced trauma. As much as they may desire to be independent, their mental health keeps them home.
Young adults who have experienced the loss or damage of a significant relationship are more likely to have trouble living independently. In particular, individuals with a personality disorder, an attachment disorder, or bipolar disorder often struggle to leave home.
ASPERGER’S & AUTISM
The thought of juggling adult responsibilities is daunting for most adolescents—and even for some successful, fully-functioning adults! This overwhelm can be even stronger for adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum. Young adults with Asperger’s syndrome (AS) or high functioning autism (HFA) are especially prone to avoid the transition to adulthood. Young adults on the spectrum are emotionally young for their chronological age. For many, this means lower motivation to move out, attend school, or get a job. When young adults with AS or HFA feel overwhelmed, they may exert control by engaging in something with which they’re familiar. Often, this “something” is being a child. Staying in a familiar place and behaving in a familiar manner is a way for them to have power over this very frightening life transition.The connection between the autism spectrum and the struggle to leave homeis familiar to many parents. Some parents have found that they can act as their child’s “coach” to successfully lead them into adulthood. Other families need more intense, external guidance to help their child with this challenging transition.
