Marriage and midlife: the impact of social change

This paper considers the impact of social change on marriage in the midlife period. Issues which ordinarily require adaptation in midlife e.g., awareness of the finiteness of time, the limits of options and the necessity to reassess goals and deal with losses are affected by societal changes. These changes include increased numbers of dual career families and a decreased birth rate. Marital partners must integrate these changes into their lives. The process of adaptation may be stressful and result in symptoms such as depression, anxiety, somatic complaints of sexual problems. Illustrative clinical examples and treatment approaches are provided.