Adolescents Value Positive Milestones More Than Stressful Crises, Research Shows

A longitudinal survey of over a thousand Swiss youths reveals that positive, routine experiences—such as schooling, apprenticeships, friendships, early romances, travel and moving out—are regarded as the most influential events in their lives, while psychological stress tends to skew perceptions of major life occurrences.

The investigation, conducted by the University of Zurich (UZH), analyzed open‑ended written responses from 1,442 participants who were surveyed at ages 15, 17, 20 and 24. Using automated language‑processing techniques, researchers categorized the mentions into thematic groups.

Contrary to many classic life‑event studies that emphasize hardship, 83 % of the cited events were positive. Educational pathways—including school, training and apprenticeships—dominated, accounting for nearly half of all references. Friendships and romantic relationships followed at roughly 12 %, personal growth and mental well‑being at about 8 %, and travel or overseas stays at around 7 %.

“Youth is not defined by crises alone. Young people repeatedly highlight constructive steps such as education, relationships and personal achievements,” said David Bürgin, a clinical developmental psychologist and lead author.

Nevertheless, participants who reported higher levels of anxiety and depression were more likely to mention stressful relational events, conflicts, losses and personal setbacks, while they referenced positive experiences—such as travel, academic successes and sports—less frequently.

The data also illustrate a shift in priorities as adolescents transition to early adulthood. In mid‑adolescence, school, friendships and leisure activities were paramount, whereas later years saw growing importance of higher education, employment, intimate relationships and independent living. Interests like sport and nightlife declined, while concerns about work, housing and family formation rose.

Gender, socioeconomic background and migration history introduced nuanced variations, yet the overarching pattern of valued topics remained consistent across groups.

First author Christina Haag, now at the University of Cambridge, noted that “processing freely written responses from large, longitudinal cohorts allows us to capture a structured portrait of young people’s lived experiences while preserving their own voices.” The study stands among the first global, large‑scale efforts to apply such computational methods to open‑ended youth data.

The findings appear in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and result from a partnership between the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development and the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute at UZH, with funding from the UZH Population Research Center’s Seed Grants Program.