Midlife blues

Midlife is often portrayed as a period of stability, yet it can also bring a bunch of psychological and social challenges that elevate the risk of depression. Understanding the factors that shape depressive symptoms during this life stage requires a broad, integrative approach. The Developmental and Educational Psychology Group (Denis Gerstorf) examined depressive symptoms in midlife in various global contexts from a life course perspective. Using harmonized longitudinal data from over 119,000 middle-aged adults across 17 countries — including the United States, China, South Korea, Mexico, and multiple European regions — they explored how historical, sociocultural, and individual factors contribute to variations in midlife mental health. They determined significant cross-national differences, highlighting the role of individual characteristics such as education, marital status, and health, and underscoring that midlife is far from a universal experience. Find out more about your future, present or past ^^ in their Psychology and Aging Article!

Abstract

Midlife is often accompanied by a range of challenges that can heighten the risk of depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. In this study, we seek to offer a comprehensive understanding of midlife depressive symptoms through a lifespan perspective. Toward that end, we draw on harmonized data from longitudinal studies across 17 nations (the United States, Mexico, China, South Korea, England, and countries in Continental, Mediterranean, and Nordic Europe), comprising a total of 119,534 middle-aged adults (M = 55.5 years at first assessment) born between 1938 and 1974. This approach allows us to examine both broader historical and sociocultural factors, as well as individual characteristics (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, and health conditions), in relation to midlife depressive symptoms. Results revealed that middle-aged adults in the United States, England, Continental Europe, China, and Mexico reported higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to Nordic and Mediterranean Europe. Historical improvements were observed in England, where later born middle-aged adults reported fewer depressive symptoms than their earlier born counterparts. Our findings also highlight individual differences that operated consistently across historical time and nations (though with varying effect sizes): Middle-aged adults with lower education levels, those who were separated/divorced, and those with more health conditions reported higher depressive symptoms. Together, our findings highlight that midlife is not a uniform experience but rather differs by individual characteristics and broader sociocultural contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)