08/28/2025
This comes up in session with my midlife adults all the time. The Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study is a massive longitudinal research project launched in 1995 and continuing on for decades to investigate health and well-being across the adult lifespan. Findings have deepened our understanding of midlife as a period not only of stress and challenge but also of growth, adaptation, and opportunity. Life satisfaction dips in midlife and rises again in older adulthood, often referred to as the “u curve.” (Blanchflower & Oswald, 2008). This midlife low point has been linked to cumulative stressors (career demands, caregiving, financial pressures, loss), but also to a phase of reassessment and realignment of values and goals.
Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. J. (2008). Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle? Social Science & Medicine, 66(8), 1733–1749.
Lachman, M. E., Teshale, S., & Agrigoroaei, S. (2015). Midlife as a pivotal period in the life course: Balancing growth and decline at the crossroads of youth and old age. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 39(1), 20–31.
Ryff, C. D., et al. (2019). Psychological well-being and health: Contributions of the MIDUS national study. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 141–166.
