An outpatient clinic nurse is assessing for a maturational crisis. Which scenario represents a maturational crisis?

• A. Divorce
• B. A child leaving for college
• C. Loss of job
• D. Motor-vehicle crash

Answer: (B)

A maturational crisis arises from a normal developmental transition that requires new coping skills and shifts in roles or routines. It’s about the stresses people encounter as they move into a new life stage, rather than from an external disaster.

Having a child leave for college fits this pattern. It is a predictable developmental milestone—an empty-nest moment for the family and a step toward greater independence for the child. It often brings anxiety, adjustments in routines, changes in family dynamics, and the need to renegotiate responsibilities and support. These are classic signs of a maturational crisis because they stem from a normal life progression and require adapting to a new situation.

The other scenarios are more about situational or acute crises: a divorce is a relationship dissolution; losing a job is an external setback with financial and identity implications; a motor-vehicle crash is an immediate traumatic event. Each can be stressful and distressing, but they aren’t typical developmental stage transitions prompting the kind of anticipatory, internal adjustment seen in maturational crises.

In practice, recognizing a maturational crisis means supporting the patient or family through this transition with coping strategies, open communication, and appropriate resources as they redefine roles and routines during the developmental change.