Half of over-50s claim to have had one, but is the ‘midlife crisis’ a real thing?
Evidence suggests a decline in life satisfaction occurs, however this is only part of a much bigger picture
Middle age is often seen as life’s pivot point. A hill has been climbed and the view over the other side is unsettling. As Victor Hugo said: “forty is the old age of youth” and “fifty the youth of old age”.
The idea that adults in midlife face a dark night of the soul — or desperately escape from it, hair plugs flapping in a convertible’s breeze — is deeply rooted.
Studies show the great majority of people believe in the reality of the so-called “midlife crisis” and almost half of adults over 50 claim to have had one.
But is it actually real?
