Exploring the Impact of Career Transition Components on Adolescents' Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Anxiety

Background The transition from high school to college is crucial for adolescents' identity, responsibilities, and career choices and may shape adolescents' lives. This study aims to explore the mediating role of career transition components—situation, self, and support—on the relationship between career decision-making self-efficacy and career anxiety among adolescents. Methods A structural equation modeling approach was employed with participants from senior high schools (n = 806) from various schools in Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected using standardized scales measuring career decision-making self-efficacy, career transition components, and career anxiety. To assess mediation effects, Pearson correlation and path analysis were used. Results Career decision-making self-efficacy was positively correlated with career transition components and negatively correlated with career anxiety. The study found that context and support partially mediated the association between career decision-making self-efficacy and career anxiety (β = .384 and .469, respectively), but the self-component had no significant influence. After eliminating the self-factor, the model fit well, demonstrating that external situational elements and support systems are more important in reducing career anxiety during this transition. Conclusion This study is one of the first to apply Schlossberg's Transition Theory to non-Western adolescent career transitions, providing insights beyond Western paradigms. The Turkish sample—characterized by its collectivist cultural orientation, high university entrance pressure, and diverse schooling system—illuminates how socio-cultural and structural factors influence career development differently. Culturally relevant interventions to reduce career anxiety and improve decision-making self-efficacy in adolescents in similar circumstances can benefit from these findings.