3 out of 4 millennials experience a quarter-life crisis, research suggests

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — You’ve heard of a mid-life crisis.

“I think my dad did that. He bought a new car, a Mustang,” joked Jacob Dockery of Philadelphia.

But, did you know it’s happening to some a lot sooner?

New LinkedIn research suggests three out of four millennials or 20 and 30-somethings are experiencing quarter-life crises.

“I would think maybe it’s the pressure,” said Dockery.

“You feel you should always be progressing or be promoted every couple years,” added Vrishim Subramaniam, in town from the Bay area.

“I think it’s kinda silly,” said Tara Miller of Mount Airy. “I mean, they just started their lives.”

Still, 72 percent of young professionals question their career path and life choices around age 27 for about a year. From the pressure to buy a home to maintaining a successful career and finding your life partner, there are several contributing factors.

“A lot of clients that come in feel like they’ve been sold a dream that is unattainable,” said Shadeen Francis, a therapist with the Council for Relationships.

Francis has worked with a wide range of millennial clients and says they’re experiencing a different landscape, thanks to high levels of debt and a tendency to compare.

“Also, there’s an interesting way in which we’ve cultivated millennial culture. We were first to be told we could do anything, be anything.”

Francis says it’s prime fodder for anxiety, insecurity and instability, which is why she says it’s important to stop keeping score on social media and surround yourself with a real-life social network.

“I think a lot of millennials would be surprised to know how many people are feeling unsure or insecure where they are in their journey,” said Francis.