Want to buy a luxury car, change your life… the midlife crisis is a myth, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Developmental Psychology. At this age, on the contrary, the majority of adults seem to begin a more serene and happier part of their lives. And even touch a total peace of mind.
Researchers from the University of Alberta (Canada) analyzed the same 1,500 people over several years to understand the evolution of their welfare over the ages and observe the frequency and nature of the midlife crisis. The scientists followed a group of high school students for 25 years and another made up of university students for 14 years. Each participant was asked the same question at different stages of their life: “How satisfied are you with your life?”.
Youth is not the age of happiness
The conclusions of this study showed that contrary to the myth often conveyed of the midlife crisis, the subjects studied within the framework of this research were happier after the milestone of 40 years than at the end of adolescence or in the early twenties. On average, the subjects went through a less happy period between the ages of 32 and 43. Volunteers were happiest in years when they were married, healthy and employed.
Young people are more depressed, they have difficulty finding a job and organizing their social and family life.
“They live with a lot of uncertainty. But in their 40s, a lot of people have worked through those issues and are generally content when they get to the age of having children,” says Nancy Galambos, University of Alberta psychology professor and co-author of the study.
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