Emerging adults with problematic substance use face many transition challenges and risks for long-term health, mental health, and substance use problems. Yet current research on how these youth view their adulthood transition is scarce. Using qualitative data gathered from semistructured interviews with 31 emerging adults seeking substance abuse treatment, we sought to (1) explore how these youth conceptualize their adulthood transition and (2) investigate their perceived interrelationships between substance use and developmental status. Youth identified adulthood criteria as including increased independence, role transitions, interdependence, and norm compliance. Participants also described the influence of substance use on their pathway toward adulthood and included issues related to substance use and mental health as adulthood criteria. Notably, substance use was described as affecting achievement of adulthood through three main processes: interfering with completion of developmental tasks, legitimizing delays in maturation, and promoting maturation through self-reflection. The findings provide important insights for service provision.
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