Mid-Life Crisis: Recent Research

Introduction

"When I had journey half of our life's way, I found myself within a shadowed forest, for I had lost the path that does not stray." Dante

A central issue in the lives of young adults is the anxiety and anticipation of a "mid-life transition" as they enter middle adulthood. In his research of middle aged men and women Daniel Levinson argued that this "transition" is for many a "crisis." Specifically, he argued the idea that this crisis was a time of struggle and a feeling of being struck down by life (Myers, 1998). The research of Levinson has led to recent research about a possible mid-life crisis that has helped to find answers to many questions: What is a mid-life crisis? Is it universal throughout cultures and gender? When does it occur? What causes it? Is it real?

Mid-life Crisis: Fact or Myth?

The period of middle age is typically marked with physical changes (loss of reproductive capacity in women), as well as new responsibilities of caring for younger children and grandchildren, and also older parents. Also, this period of time is one in which adults take on new responsibilities at the workplace and therefore often feel a need to "reappraise previous life structures with an eye to making revisions 'while there is still time'" (Huyck, 1997). The term of "mid-life crisis" was originally coined by Jaques (1965) who claimed that people encounter a crisis as they realize their own mortality and a change in time frame from "time since birth" to "time left to live" (Shek, 1996). Specifically, the mid-life crisis is often thought to include: worries about the future, inability to enjoy leisure time, a feeling that health is deteriorating, a negative evaluation of the marital relationship, a negative evaluation of work life, and stress arising from taking care of the elderly (Shek, 1996).

In a study conducted by Daniel Shek dealing with mid-life crisis in Chinese Men and Women, Levinson's theory of the presence of a mid-life crisis in middle aged men and women is argued. A sample of 1,501 married adults between the ages of 30 and 60 were given a 15-item Mid-life Crisis Scale. The scale was designed to test the of levels of concern of the adults who were divided into six mid-life age groups. The results of the study showed that some of the participants were dissatisfied with their work and personal achievement, but that a majority did not indicate dissatisfaction at the crisis level. Therefore, the findings of this study did not support the idea of a normal mid-life crisis. Also, the results of this research did not show a significant rise or peak in the levels of concern for the adults in any particular age group. This result is in agreement with the findings of McCrae and Costa (1984) who concluded that "at any given time, only a small percentage of men are in a crisis, and they are not likely to cluster at any particular age" (Shek, 1996). These findings help to reject Levinson's idea that the mid-life crisis is usually a marker event for people of 40 to 45 years of age (Shek, 1996).

Alternative Explanations

The research of Arnold Kruger also set out to explore the presence of a mid-life crisis in middle aged adults. His findings concluded that the idea of a mid-life crisis is covered appropriately by the criteria in the DSM-III-R for the various Adjustment Disorders. An Adjustment Disorder is defined as "a maladaptive reaction to an identifiable psychosocial stressor or stressors" (Kruger, 1994). The DSM-III-R goes on to define an Adjustment Disorder stating "some stressors may accompany specific developmental events, such as getting married, becoming a parent, or failing to attain occupational goals" (Kruger, 1994). Based on the inclusive nature of this definition Kruger argues that a mid-life crisis is a chimera, that is, "an unreal creature of the imagination" (Kruger, 1994).

Kruger also explores possible causes of society's belief in a mid-life crisis. He explains how the increased prosperity of the North American and Western European white middle classes may be the source of this idea. Kruger notes that the perception of acting out a mid-life crisis goes along with the increase in leisure time to indulge in self-absorption, and that this is a characteristic of an increase in prosperity (Kruger, 1994). Other research that challenges the idea of a mid-life crisis deals with the idea of the "social clock." This cultural prescription of the right time to leave home, get a job, marry, have children, and retire varies from culture to culture. For instance, in Jordan, 40 percent of brides are in their teens. However, this figure is only three percent in Hong Kong. In Western Europe, less than 10 percent of men over 65 remain in the work force, compared to 16 percent in the United States, 36 percent in Japan, and 69 percent in Mexico (Myers, 1998). These variations in the social clock and individual experience lead stage theorists to question the idea of a timetable of adult stages including a mid-life crisis (Myers, 1998).

Conclusion

The findings of Levinson are challenged by the recent research about the possible existence of a mid-life crisis and its implications. Levinson (1978) found that 80% of middle-aged participants had a crisis, and Ciernia (1985) reported that 70% of men in mid-life said they had a crisis (Shek, 1996). These findings are not supported by the evidence of Shek (1996), Kruger (1994), and McCrae and Costa (1990). The debate of whether or not there is a mid-life crisis is being answered through recent research that attempts to balance such things as response bias and experimenter effects in order to establish internal validity. The above mentioned research does not support Levinson's model of a single age in the middle years that is a designated time of transition and potential "crisis."

References

Huyck, Margaret H. (1993). Middle Age. Academic American Encyclopedia, 13, 390-391.

Kruger, A. (1994). The Mid-life Transition: Crisis or Chimera? Psychological Reports, 75, 1299-1305.

Myers, David G. (1998). Adulthood's Ages and Stages. Psychology, 5, 196-197.

Shek, D.T.L. (1996). Mid-life Crisis in Chinese Men and Women. Journal of Psychology, 130, 109-119.

Web Resources

For more information on middle age and the mid-life crisis visit these websites:

Research Network on Successful Midlife Development (MIDMAC)

MidLife Transition

Contributed by Jeff MacDoniels, December 1, 1997.

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