What Does Failure to Thrive Mean for Teens and Young Adults?
Parents, caregivers, and even educators often ask: What does failure to thrive mean when applied to teens and young adults? While the phrase originally referred to infants who struggled with physical growth, it has also been used in a broader sense to describe older children, teens, and young adults who face challenges in emotional, social, and psychological development.
In adolescence and emerging adulthood, failure to thrive does not necessarily mean physical malnourishment. Instead, it often reflects a pattern of stalled growth in areas like independence, motivation, mental health, and identity development. Teens and young adults may look healthy from the outside yet feel stuck internally, unable to move forward with autonomy or confidence.
Defining Failure to Thrive in a Broader Context
Traditionally, failure to thrive (FTT) was a medical diagnosis applied to infants who were not gaining weight or meeting physical growth milestones. In recent years, the term has also been used to describe older adolescents and young adults who show delays in emotional and psychological development.
So, what does failure to thrive mean for this age group? Instead of focusing on weight and height, it involves difficulties in areas like:
Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD.
Motivation and perseverance – difficulty sustaining effort in school, work, or personal goals.
Executive function challenges – procrastination, disorganization, and avoidance behaviors.
Social skills and relationships – struggles with identity, secure attachments, and autonomy.
Life skills and independence – difficulty managing money, working from home effectively, or handling responsibilities of adulthood.
Failure to thrive in teens and young adults is less about physical health and more about psychological growth, autonomy, and resilience. It describes a phenomenon where individuals remain stuck in patterns of arrested development, unable to progress into confident, independent adulthood.
Symptoms and Signs of Failure to Thrive in Teens and Young Adults
Recognizing the symptoms of failure to thrive in adolescence and emerging adulthood is critical for early support. Some of the signs may include:
Persistent low self-esteem and negative self-worth.
Difficulty managing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit disorders.
Frequent procrastination and avoidance behaviors when facing responsibilities.
Struggles with identity development leaving the individual unsure of who they are or what direction to pursue.
Reliance on parents or caregivers for responsibilities typical of adulthood, such as financial independence.
Lack of motivation and difficulty setting or achieving long-term goals.
Withdrawal from social settings due to poor social skills or fear of failure.
While some of these symptoms overlap with normal adolescent struggles, persistent patterns may signal that a young person is experiencing failure to thrive in a psychological sense.
The Impact on Growth and Development
Failure to thrive in teens and young adults has wide-reaching consequences beyond the individual. It can affect education, employment, and family dynamics, often creating stress for both the young adult and their support system.
Mental Health
Failure to thrive is closely linked to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. When young adults struggle with executive function and self-efficacy, they may internalize their struggles as personal failure, reinforcing low self-worth.
Autonomy and Independence
A key developmental milestone in emerging adulthood is the ability to live independently, make decisions, and take responsibility. Failure to thrive disrupts this process, creating prolonged dependence on parents or caregivers and delaying the transition into adulthood.
Identity Development
Adolescence is a critical period for forming identity. Teens and emerging adults who experience failure to thrive may become stuck in arrested development, unable to explore personal goals, values, and roles in society. Without a solid identity, their resilience in adulthood is weakened.
Education and Career
Procrastination, avoidance behaviors, and low motivation can interfere with school performance or early career steps. This can create a cycle where setbacks reinforce self-doubt, and self-doubt further prevents progress.
Recent findings show that many 17–25-year-olds experience social withdrawal, school avoidance, and excessive reliance on gaming or online activities, patterns that became more common after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal developmental milestones. Without early support, these difficulties can delay autonomy, resilience, and overall well-being.
Long-Term Implications if Left Unaddressed
If failure to thrive in teens and young adults goes untreated, the consequences may extend far into adulthood.
Mental health conditions may worsen – untreated anxiety, depression, or ADHD can lead to long-term suffering and poor quality of life.
Addiction and substance abuse problems may develop as unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Disordered behaviors such as chronic procrastination and avoidance can hinder professional and personal growth.
Arrested development may persist, leaving individuals unprepared for adulthood responsibilities.
Secure attachments may be harder to form, leading to difficulties in relationships and self-worth.
A lack of perseverance and resilience may contribute to feelings of hopelessness, preventing individuals from overcoming challenges.
The long-term effects of failure to thrive can resemble a syndrome, where multiple symptoms feed into one another, low motivation, poor mental health, and identity struggles, reinforcing each other.
Addressing Failure to Thrive: Therapy and Support
The good news is that failure to thrive in young adults is not a permanent condition. With intervention, therapy, and consistent support, many teens and emerging adults can develop the resilience and life skills they need for adulthood.
Therapy and Counseling
Therapy can provide a safe place to address mental health issues, build coping skills, and process identity struggles. Approaches may include:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for negative thinking and procrastination.
Family therapy to strengthen communication and reduce enabling behaviors.
Individual therapy to build self-esteem and resilience.
Psychology-based interventions using self-determination theory to increase autonomy and motivation.
Skill-Building for Autonomy
Support may also involve teaching practical life skills, budgeting, decision-making, time management, and building social skills. These skills strengthen independence and reduce reliance on others.
Support for Mental Health
Addressing co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, depression, or anxiety is essential. Proper diagnosis and treatment can prevent long-term dysfunction and give emerging adults tools to manage symptoms.
Building Resilience and Perseverance
A central part of recovery from failure to thrive is building resilience. Resilience is the ability to persevere through setbacks and maintain motivation despite challenges. Therapists often focus on:
Encouraging self-compassion to reduce shame and promote self-worth.
Supporting young adults in setting achievable goals to build confidence.
Challenging avoidance behaviors and procrastination by breaking tasks into manageable steps.
Promoting healthy coping strategies to reduce reliance on substances or avoidance.
By fostering resilience and perseverance, emerging adults can gradually gain confidence in their ability to manage the responsibilities of adulthood.
Failure to Thrive: Finding a Path Forward
So, what does failure to thrive mean for teens and young adults? In this age group, it describes more than physical health concerns; it highlights struggles in mental health, motivation, autonomy, and independence. Failure to thrive represents a psychological and social phenomenon where emerging adults feel stuck, unable to progress toward healthy adulthood.
If left unaddressed, it can lead to long-term consequences, including addiction, identity struggles, and ongoing mental health conditions. But with therapy, family support, and resilience-building, teens and young adults can overcome these challenges, develop independence, and move into adulthood with confidence.
Recognizing the signs early and offering compassionate support makes the difference between prolonged arrested development and a future built on resilience and self-efficacy.
First Step To Healing
If you or someone you love is struggling with failure to thrive, you don’t have to face it alone. At Bridge the Gap Services, we provide support, guidance, and therapeutic resources to help teens and young adults build resilience, independence, and confidence. Reach out today to learn how our team can help you or your family take the next step toward healing and growth.
FAQs
1. What does failure to thrive mean for young adults?
Failure to thrive in young adults refers to struggles with independence, motivation, and identity development. It’s often connected to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or ADHD rather than physical growth.
2. What are common symptoms of failure to thrive in teens and emerging adults?
Signs can include low motivation, poor executive function, procrastination, avoidance behaviors, arrested development, low self-esteem, and difficulties with social skills or independence.
3. Can failure to thrive be treated?
Yes. Therapy, mental health support, skill-building programs, and family involvement can help address symptoms. Developing coping mechanisms, resilience, and secure attachments are key to recovery.
4. How does failure to thrive affect long-term independence?
If left untreated, it can limit self-efficacy, increase the risk of substance abuse problems, and create challenges with identity and autonomy well into adulthood. Early intervention greatly improves outcomes.
5. How can families support a teen or young adult struggling with failure to thrive?
Families can help by encouraging therapy, modeling resilience, avoiding shame-based language, and supporting gradual steps toward independence. Building secure attachments is vital for recovery.
