Exploring the Impact of School-To-Work Transitions on Health-Related Quality of Life in Emerging Adulthood Using the German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP)

Despite the increasing depression diagnoses and the frequent origin of later-life (mental) illnesses during this period, surprisingly scarce research for Germany addresses emerging adulthood, and particularly health implications regarding social milestones like school-to-work transitions. To address this gap, we aim to investigate the relationship between school-to-work transitions and Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL), using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel 2002–2017. The findings reveal slight associations between school-to-work transitions and HRQOL. Successful completion of out-of-school education is positively associated with both mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) HRQOL, predominantly among women. For labor market entry, a modest increase in MCS is observed primarily among men. These results suggest slightly positive associations between school-to-work transitions and HRQOL of emerging adults in Germany. While short-term health implications seem limited, potential heightening effects from cumulative transitions or long-term consequences remain unobserved and call for continued attention on emerging adulthood in life course research.