The worried, the competitive and the indifferent—Approaches to the future in youth, their structural roots and outcomes in adult life

The article brings together knowledge from future studies, sociology, psychology and social medicine in a study of approaches to the future in youth, their structural roots and outcomes in adult life. Three different approaches are studied: worry, indifference and competitiveness and by use of unique longitudinal data individuals are followed from childhood to middle age. Worry and indifference about the future is positively linked to economic hardship and social problems in the family of origin. Indifference towards the future in adolescence is also related to adverse adult living conditions, such as economic hardship and low educational attainment. A competitive outlook of the future finally, is not linked to living conditions in childhood, but shows a strong and positive relationship to mortality risk up to age 48. Although the mechanism behind this relationship cannot be determined by the present study, type-A-personality is suggested as factor of possible relevance. The study demonstrates how social factors forming young individuals’ life chances also impact the future outlooks of these individuals, and how these outlooks in their turn independently affect adult living conditions.