Up to one fifth of middle-aged adults have mental health problems

According to a recently published study, “baby boomers” and Generation X are among adults a greater risk of mental problems in middle age: From depression to anxiety, let’s see what are the most frequent symptoms and why they appear so frequently in such people.

The analysis in question was conducted by researchers from the Center for Longitudinal Studies of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Social Research Institute and published in Psychological Medicine. To get the desired results, they analyzed data collected over the past four decades on over 28,000 adults who are participating in three UK birth cohort studies, all of which are aged between 23 and 69.

By dividing the participants by time periods, they found the following data: Among those born between 1958 and 1970, rates of mental illness decreased from 20 to 30 years, but then the prevalence of psychological distress increased from the first 30 years to reach the higher levels in middle age, when the participants were between the ages of 46 and 53. The 1970 cohort appears to be the one with the highest rates of depression, anxiety or other mental problems, with a share of 16% at the age of 26 and then 20% at the age of 46.

In all cohorts and at all ages, i rates of psychological distress were higher among women compared to men: in middle age, 23% of women born in 1970 said they had symptoms like those mentioned above, compared with 17% of men.

But what makes it so such problems are likely to arise? Study co-author George Ploubidis explains it to us: “Middle age tends to mean a career ‘peak’ with adults who acquire increasing responsibilities as ‘decision makers’ in society, which is accompanied by a reduction in free time and high work-related stress. Middle age is also often associated with changes in family structure that can be linked to mental health, such as empty nest syndrome and rising divorce rates. As people approach their 50s, they are also more likely to be parents while caring for elderly parents at the same time “.

Still, according to Ploubidis Generation X – those born between 1965 and 1980 – are more likely to suffer from psychological distress than baby boomers during their lifetime, as they entered the job market in the late 1980s and early 1980s. beginning of the 90s during a period of recession and high unemployment. As a result, these special circumstances may have had a lasting effect on mental health of this generation throughout adulthood.

Dawid Gondek, another co-author of this study, added that adolescents receive more attention in analyzing and treating these problems than middle-aged adults, who are therefore particularly vulnerable. For this reason it would be necessary to have greater awareness of what is happening to the whole of society and not just a part of it.

Speaking of psychology, another recent study showed that money makes us happy, but along with the pros there are some cons not to be underestimated; or again, it has been discovered how the weather can have a positive or negative impact on our mood and our productivity.

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