Historical Change in Midlife Development from a Cross-National Perspective

The objectives of our overview are threefold. We first summarize empirical evidence documenting (a)that U.S. middle-aged adults have displayed historical trends of elevations in loneliness and depressive symptoms and declining memory and physical health, and (b)this pattern is largely confined to the U.S. and not observed in peer nations. Second, we provide a conceptual model to detail possible explanations for these historical trends. Third, we discuss future directions to explore whether similar historical trends are transpiring across population subgroups and low- and middle-income nations, and identify psychosocial resources for promoting resilience. This timely review sheds light on midlife development from a cross-national and historical perspective.