Midlife blues: A lifespan perspective on midlife depressive symptoms

Midlife is often accompanied by a range of challenges that can heighten the risk of depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. In this study, we seek to offer a comprehensive understanding of midlife depressive symptoms through a lifespan perspective. Toward that end, we draw on harmonized data from longitudinal studies across 17 nations (the United States, Mexico, China, South Korea, England, and countries in Continental, Mediterranean, and Nordic Europe), comprising a total of 119,534 middle-aged adults (M = 55.5 years at first assessment) born between 1938 and 1974. This approach allows us to examine both broader historical and sociocultural factors, as well as individual characteristics (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, and health conditions), in relation to midlife depressive symptoms. Results revealed that middle-aged adults in the United States, England, Continental Europe, China, and Mexico reported higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to Nordic and Mediterranean Europe. Historical improvements were observed in England, where later born middle-aged adults reported fewer depressive symptoms than their earlier born counterparts. Our findings also highlight individual differences that operated consistently across historical time and nations (though with varying effect sizes): Middle-aged adults with lower education levels, those who were separated/divorced, and those with more health conditions reported higher depressive symptoms. Together, our findings highlight that midlife is not a uniform experience but rather differs by individual characteristics and broader sociocultural contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).