A Quantitative Comparison of Young Adult "Third Culture Kids'" Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health to Peers Who Never Lived Abroad

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the similarities and differences between young adult Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and non-Third Culture Kids (non-TCKs) and to determine if and how particular factors related to the TCK experience are predictive of the young adult TCK social, emotional, and behavioral health. Participants included 91 TCKs and 245 non-TCKs who were between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. All participants completed the PROMIS depression, anxiety, and anger scales as well as the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List - 12 (ISEL-12). Additionally, TCK participants also answered questions regarding their TCK experience including total amount of time spent living abroad, reason for living abroad (e.g., military, religious, business), specific locations lived, amount of time spent living in each location, age when first moved to each location, the description of the location (i.e., rural, suburban, urban), number of furloughs or returns to passport culture, average length of furlough, and age of repatriation. The current study found that when controlling for age, TCKs and non-TCKs did not differ significantly when comparing the group means of measures of resilience, interpersonal support, anxiety, depression, and anger. Results also indicate that the relationship between interpersonal support and resilience was different for non-TCKs as compared to TCKs. Findings suggested that for TCKs the number of locations lived was positively related to symptoms of depression and anxiety and the number of furlough (i.e., returns to passport culture) was negatively related to resilience. For TCKs, currently living in their passport culture related to significantly more symptoms of depression than TCKs who have not returned to their passport culture. Finally, the current study found that interpersonal support, resilience, and number of locations lived were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Resilience and number of locations were significant predictors of anxiety, and interpersonal support and resilience were significant predictors of anger. Results of this study reinforce the importance of considering factors in the TCK experience and recognizing how those factors may be impacting young adult TCKs’ social, emotional, and behavioral mental health as they transition between cultures