Midlife isn't a crisis — it's an opportunity

Margie Lachman has spent more than 30 years studying the years between 40 and 60 as an investigator on the Midlife in the United States study. She argues the idea that midlife is inevitably unhappy or defined by a dramatic pivot is "flat-out wrong" and, in her book Primetime, says it can even be a golden run.

People in midlife commonly balance responsibilities to both older and younger generations: on average 45% of US adults in their 40s and 50s are in the "sandwich generation." They also begin to notice outward signs of ageing — reading glasses, grey hair, wrinkles — which can prompt worry and the sense that time is limited.

Measured life satisfaction is fairly stable through midlife and often rises, and younger people today report more depression and anxiety. The midlife-crisis label has been stretched to cover many events that can occur at any age; in one study 26% said they had a crisis but described a range of different experiences.

United States

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