In a dark wood: an exploration of the midlife low in human wellbeing and a research agenda

Piper, Alan (2024): In a dark wood: an exploration of the midlife low in human wellbeing and a research agenda.

Abstract

The midlife low is a broader concept than the midlife crisis and seems to be intimately connected to being human (and perhaps even to being animal). This article briefly discusses literature which finds midlife lows in survey data. In addition, reasons why midlife lows exist are put forward and discussed. The evidence provided is interdisciplinary, often presented in literature from the field of psychotherapy which has, at times, heavily concerned itself with the topic. Given that the misery of midlife can be substantial, efforts to understand the phenomenon and how it might be mitigated seem to be worthwhile. In pursuit of this aim, the article concludes with some research questions which emerge from the previous discussion and are testable with current datasets, but currently remain unresolved.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: middle age; midlife; lifespan development; ageing; wellbeing
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I31 - General Welfare, Well-Being

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