Does Social Intelligence Training Improve Daily Well-Being and Responsiveness to Daily Negative and Positive Events in Custodial Grandmothers?

OBJECTIVES: Custodial grandparents are grandparents who raise grandchildren on a full-time basis in absence of the grandchild's birth parents. Compared to noncaregiving grandparents, custodial grandparents report poorer mental and physical health and stronger changes in daily well-being when experiencing negative and positive events. We examine whether an online social intelligence training (SIT) program improves custodial grandmothers' (CGM) daily well-being, socioemotional skills, and changes in well-being when confronted with daily negative and positive events. METHODS: Multilevel models were applied to 200 CGM who were recruited from across the United States and completed a daily survey for 14 consecutive days prior to and following participation in a randomized clinical trial. Participants were randomized into the SIT program or an attention control condition focusing on healthy living habits. The outcomes of interest were daily well-being, social connectedness, emotional awareness, and perspective-taking. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses revealed that participants who participated in the SIT program, compared to the attention control condition, exhibited stronger emotional responsiveness (i.e., improvements) to daily positive events in the outcomes of positive affect, social engagement, and perspective-taking. DISCUSSION: Our findings illustrate that SIT improves key components of daily functioning in CGM, which may serve as a pathway linking the demands of custodial grandparenting to poorer mental and physical health. Our discussion focuses on the utility and accessibility of the SIT program for helping improve outcomes for this disadvantaged population.Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT03239977.

Loneliness in midlife: Historical increases and elevated levels in the United States compared with Europe.

Loneliness is gaining attention globally as a public health issue because elevated loneliness increases one's risk for depression, compromised immunity, chronic illness, and mortality. Our objective is to zoom into how loneliness has historically evolved through midlife and investigate whether elevations in loneliness are confined to the United States or are similarly transpiring across peer European nations. We use harmonized data on loneliness from nationally representative longitudinal panel surveys from the United States and 13 European nations to directly quantify similarities and differences in historical change of midlife loneliness trajectories. Compared with any other European nation/region, overall levels of loneliness in the United States are consistently higher by a magnitude of 0.3-0.8 SDs. Middle-aged adults in the United States, England, and Mediterranean Europe today report higher levels of loneliness than earlier born cohorts, whereas no historical changes (if not historically lower levels) were observed in Continental and Nordic Europe. Our discussion focuses on possible reasons for cross-national differences in midlife loneliness, including cultural factors, social and economic inequalities, and differences in social safety nets. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An Emerging 21st-Century Midlife Sleep Crisis? Cohort Differences in Sleeping Patterns Among Americans in Midlife and Older Adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: To descriptively document birth cohort differences in sleeping patterns, self-reported age-specific sleep duration, and insomnia symptoms among adults aged 50+ from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). METHODS: We analyzed respondents aged 50+ (born 1920-1969) from the 2006-2018 NHIS (n = 162,400) and HRS (n = 28,918). We fit multinomial models among the NHIS sample predicting age-specific optimal sleep duration (optimal for age vs short for age, and optimal for age vs long for age). For the HRS sample, we fit growth curve models predicting age-based insomnia symptom trajectories. The models for both samples adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment. RESULTS: Results regarding sleep duration in the NHIS, suggested that cohorts born in the 1950s and 1960s had significantly higher odds of reporting short sleep duration than cohorts before them. Results from the HRS similarly illustrated that cohorts born in the 1950s and 1960s had significantly higher levels of insomnia symptoms than those born before them. The worsening sleep among cohorts entering midlife was consistent regardless of alternative cohort specification, when age groups or periods were analyzed, and when more extensive covariates were modeled. DISCUSSION: We observe a pronounced decline in healthy sleeping patterns among American cohorts in midlife, with consistent and striking results across data sets, methods, and measures. These findings have important implications for the well-being and longevity of Americans who have entered midlife in the 21st century.

Perceived Control and Inflammation: Mediating and Moderating Effects in the Relationship Between Cumulative Trauma and Depression.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of trauma exposure on depression risk and severity are well established, but psychosocial and biological factors that impact or explain those relationships remain poorly understood. This study examined the moderating and mediating effects of perceived control and inflammation in the relationship between trauma and depression. METHODS: Moderation analyses and longitudinal mediation analyses were conducted on data from 945 adults who completed all three waves (spanning around 19 years) of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study and the MIDUS Biomarker Study. Data were collected during a phone interview, self-report surveys distributed in the mail, and an in-person blood draw. Two dimensions of perceived control-mastery and constraints-were examined separately in all analyses. RESULTS: Perceived control did not significantly moderate the relationship between trauma and depression severity at MIDUS 2 ( b = 0.03, SE = .02, p = .091). Constraints significantly mediated the relationship between trauma and MIDUS 3 depression (indirect effect = 0.03, SE = 0.01, p = .016) but not after accounting for MIDUS 2 depression. Perceived control did not have a significant moderating effect in the relationships between trauma and inflammation or inflammation and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study revealed that perceived control may be better characterized as an explanatory factor rather than a buffer in trauma-associated depression. Perceived constraints in particular may be a useful treatment target for trauma-associated depression. Further research is needed to examine whether these results generalize to populations other than among mostly non-Hispanic White adults in the United States.

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Online Social Intelligence Training With Custodial Grandmothers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a self-administered, online Social Intelligence Training (SIT) program aimed at enhancing psychological and relational well-being among a nationwide U.S. sample of custodial grandmothers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A two-arm randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted, where 349 grandmothers raising grandchildren aged 11-18 years were assigned to either SIT or an attention control condition (ACC). Participants self-completed online surveys at baseline and immediately postintervention, in addition to follow-ups at 3-, 6-, and 9-month postintervention. First-order latent difference score models were used to compare SIT to ACC, across all times of measurement, along key indicators of psychological and relational well-being on an intent-to-treat basis. RESULTS: Although SIT was largely superior to ACC at yielding positive results, it appears that it attenuated longitudinal declines that occurred among ACC participants. SIT also exerted stronger effects on relational than psychological outcomes, with perceived relations with grandchildren being the most positively affected. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Given that the historical time of this RCT unpredictably corresponded with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we suspect that SIT helped offset declines in psychological and relational well-being that are widely documented to have resulted from the pandemic. Our overall positive findings support future use of the inexpensive and easily delivered SIT program under normal environmental conditions, with the vulnerable and geographically disperse population of custodial grandmothers. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03239977.

Intergenerational patterns of attachment in custodial grandfamilies.

The present study aimed to identify intergenerational patterns of attachment insecurity among grandmothers, adolescent grandchildren, and birth mothers in custodial grandfamilies and to test the relations among triadic attachment patterns and grandchild socioemotional outcomes. Prior research with custodial grandfamilies has found distinct "profiles" reflecting patterns of closeness between grandmothers, grandchildren, and birth mothers. However, no studies have tested patterns of attachment insecurity among members of the triad, despite the likelihood of attachment disruption in grandfamilies. Moreover, previous studies have only examined links between profile and grandmother outcomes or rudimentary grandchild outcomes. In a sample of 230 grandmother-grandchild dyads from a larger randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of an online social intelligence training program for grandfamilies, latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify profiles of intergenerational attachment insecurity, using grandmother and grandchild reports. Profile differences in grandchild internalizing and externalizing problems, social skills, self-esteem, and prosocial behavior were examined. We identified three profiles: isolated mother, grandchild-linked, and disconnected. Overall, grandchildren in disconnected families (in which attachment insecurity between all three members of the triad was high) fared worst. Grandchildren in isolated mother families (in which only grandmother-grandchild attachment insecurity was low) fared best. A secure attachment relationship between grandmother and adolescent grandchild may buffer effects of attachment insecurity between the grandchild and birth mother. These findings inform intervention efforts and highlight the utility of family- and attachment-focused research for building understanding of custodial grandfamilies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Are Daily Well-Being and Emotional Reactivity to Stressors Modifiable in Midlife?: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Social Intelligence Training Program.

The complex set of challenges that middle-aged adults encounter emphasizes a need for mental health interventions that promote resilience and positive outcomes. The present study evaluated whether an online, self-guided social intelligence training (SIT) program (8 h) improved midlife adults' daily well-being and emotion regulation in the context of their own naturalistic everyday environment. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 230 midlife adults allocated into either a SIT program or an attentional control (AC) condition that focused on healthy lifestyle education. Intent-to-treat analyses examined two bursts of 14-day daily surveys that participants completed pre- and post-treatment. Multilevel models evaluated pre-to post-treatment changes in mean positive and negative affect, as well as daily emotional reactivity to stressors and responsiveness to uplifts. Compared to the AC group, those in the SIT program reported improvements (i.e., decreases) in mean negative affect, positive emotional reactivity to daily stressors (i.e., smaller decreases in positive affect on stressor days), and negative emotional responsiveness to uplifts (i.e., lower negative affect on days without uplifts). Our discussion considers potential mechanisms underlying these improvements, highlights downstream effects on midlife functioning, and elaborates on how online delivery of the SIT program increases its potential for positive outcomes across adulthood. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03824353.

The accumulation of adversity in midlife: Effects on depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and character strengths.

Middle-aged adults are a central pillar of society because they comprise large segments of the workforce and bridge younger and older generations. Given the significant role that middle-aged adults play for the greater good of society, more research is warranted to evaluate in which ways adversity could accumulate or pile-up to impact pertinent outcomes. We used data from a sample of middle-aged adults (n = 317, age 50-65 at baseline, 55% women) who were assessed monthly for a period of 2 years to examine whether the accumulation of adversity was predictive of depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and character strengths (generativity, gratitude, the presence of meaning, and search for meaning). Greater accumulation of adversity was associated with reporting more depressive symptoms, lower life satisfaction, and the lower presence of meaning and the effects remained for depressive symptoms when accounting for concurrent adversity. More concurrent adversity was associated with reporting more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction and lower levels of generativity, gratitude, and the presence of meaning. Analyses that targeted specific domains of adversity showed that the accumulation of adversity associated with close family members (i.e., spouse/partner, children, and parents), and financial, and work domains showed the strongest (negative) associations across each outcome. Our findings demonstrate that monthly adversity take its toll on pertinent midlife outcomes and points to future research targeting mechanisms underlying our findings as well as resources that promote positive outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Dynamics of Daily Life in Custodial Grandmothers.

OBJECTIVE: Guided by a life-course perspective, we examine the nature of daily life among custodial grandmothers (CGM) through documenting daily positive and negative affect, reporting daily negative and positive events, and emotional reactivity/responsiveness to daily negative and positive events. We also examine whether CGM age, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and social relationship quality with grandchild are associated with each indicator. METHODS: We applied multilevel models to 200 CGM (Mage = 61, SD = 5.66) who were recruited from across the United States and completed a daily survey for 14 consecutive days prior to commencing a randomized clinical trial. RESULTS: Older age and reporting fewer ACEs were associated with better overall and less variability in daily well-being. Positive events were reported on 83% of days and negative events were reported on 56% of days. Daily well-being was lower when a negative event was reported and higher when a positive event was reported. Reporting more ACEs was associated with greater exposure to daily negative events and stronger gains in daily well-being when a daily positive event was reported. Older age was associated with lesser declines in daily well-being on days when a negative event was reported. DISCUSSION: In accordance with the life-course perspective, our findings illustrate how the timing of being a CGM (age) and the cumulative nature of development (ACEs) affect daily well-being and negative and positive events for CGM. Our discussion focuses on resources to consider when building resilience-focused interventions for promoting the health and well-being of CGM.

Supporting grandchildren's remote instruction during COVID-19: Experiences of custodial grandmothers.

While negative impacts of COVID-19-related remote instruction on children continue to emerge, it appears that vulnerable students will disproportionately bear the burden. One such vulnerable population is children being raised by grandparents. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to gain insight into custodial grandmothers' (CGMs) experiences of their grandchildren's remote instruction, as well as individual and contextual factors associated with these experiences. A national sample of 315 CGMs, drawn from two randomized clinical trials, completed an online survey in Spring of 2020. Results of a thematic analysis and supplemental quantitative analyses revealed three themes. First, access to technology and instructional supports were critical to the success of remote instruction, with barriers being difficulties using technology and poor-quality remote instruction. Next, grandchild socioemotional difficulties, and fit with remote instruction, were central to their engagement and success with remote instruction. Finally, CGMs experienced multiple stressors related to managing the demands of remote instruction, work, and family. Challenges associated with remote instruction were related to pre-pandemic difficulties such as grandchild problems and CGM depressive symptoms. Collectively, the results highlight how multiple adversities may have amplified grandchildren's existing vulnerability to negative outcomes. Implications are addressed, including strategies for supporting children raised by grandparents beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Does insomnia mediate the link between childhood trauma and impaired control over drinking, alcohol use, and related problems?

INTRODUCTION: Hyperarousal theory states that stressful negative events can result in a physiological response in the body leading to poor sleep quality. Childhood trauma is associated with many negative health consequences persisting into adulthood such as insomnia. Insomnia itself is a driver of poor physical and psychological health including excessive alcohol use. We examined the direct and indirect relationships between trauma (i.e., physical-neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse) as well as emotionally supportive families on insomnia, impaired control over drinking, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. METHODS: We studied a sample of 941 college students (467 women, 474 men). For our data analysis, we used a structural equation model with model indirect commands and 20,000 iteration bootstrapping with asymmetric confidence intervals in Mplus to obtain our mediated effects. RESULTS: Higher levels of emotional abuse were directly associated with more insomnia. Further, higher levels of physical neglect were directly associated with more impaired control over drinking. We found several mediational pathways from this investigation as well. Higher levels of emotional abuse were indirectly linked to both more alcohol use and alcohol-related problems through increased insomnia and impaired control over drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Our results were consistent with Hyperarousability Theory. We suggest that insomnia may contribute to dysregulated drinking and that combating emotional abuse could be a promising therapeutic target of intervention among college student social drinkers.

Lifetime Adversity in the Context of Monthly Adversity and Psychological Well-Being in Midlife: Evidence of Cumulative Disadvantage, But Not Steeling Effects of Lifetime Adversity.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective is to examine whether lifetime adversity has either a "steeling effect" or "cumulative disadvantage effect" on the consequences of monthly adversity on psychological well-being in middle-aged adults. An exploratory step was to examine whether such associations differed based on the domain of adversity (personal, family/friend, bereavement, social-environmental, and relationship). METHOD: Multilevel modeling was applied to data from a sample of participants in midlife (n = 358, ages 50-65, 54% women) who were assessed monthly for 2 years. RESULTS: Lifetime adversity did not show steeling effects, but instead appeared to exacerbate the impact of monthly adversity on psychological well-being, indicating cumulative disadvantage. On months where an adversity was reported, on average, individuals who reported more lifetime adversity showed stronger increases in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and negative affect and decreases in positive affect. There was limited evidence to suggest for steeling effects for life satisfaction. Reporting adversity in the personal, bereavement, social-environmental, and relationship domains showed the strongest associations with psychological well-being. DISCUSSION: Our discussion focuses on how lifetime adversity showed a cumulative disadvantage effect on the consequences of monthly adversity on psychological well-being. We also elaborate on future directions for research that include other conceptualizations of adversity and research to examine mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Examining Racial Disparities in Historical Change of Mental and Physical Health Across Midlife and Old Age in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether racial disparities are narrowing or widening with historical time among U.S. middle-aged and older adults, and test the extent to which educational attainment moderates racial disparities over historical time. METHODS: Multilevel models were applied to longitudinal data on middle-aged (ages 40-65) and older adults (ages 66 and older) from the Health and Retirement Study. Historical change was indexed as cohort or birth year. The outcomes of focus were depressive symptoms, episodic memory, health conditions, functional limitations, and self-rated health. RESULTS: Results revealed a differential pattern of racial disparities in historical change between midlife and old age. Across midlife and old age, on average, Blacks and Hispanics reported poorer levels of mental and physical health, compared with Whites. In midlife, racial disparities narrowed with historical time; later-born cohorts of Hispanics but not Whites reported fewer depressive symptoms than their earlier-born peers. Likewise, historical improvements in health were stronger among Hispanics and Blacks than Whites. Conversely, in old age, later-born cohorts across race consistently showed historical improvements in each of the outcomes examined. Regarding educational attainment, we observed little consistent evidence that health-promoting effects of educational attainment differ across race and cohort. Examining questions about heterogeneity, results revealed that in midlife and old age there was greater heterogeneity between race across each of the outcomes. DISCUSSION: Our discussion elaborates on reasons behind the documented racial differences in historical changes among U.S. middle-aged and older adults, and how the protective role of education is changing over time.

Historical change in midlife health, well-being, and despair: Cross-cultural and socioeconomic comparisons.

Recent empirical evidence has documented that U.S. middle-aged adults today are reporting lower mental and physical health than same-aged peers several decades ago. Individuals who attained fewer years of education have been most vulnerable to these historical changes. One overarching question is whether this phenomenon is confined to the U.S. or whether it is transpiring across other high-income and upper-middle-income nations. To examine this question, we use nationally representative longitudinal panel data from 5 nations across different continents and cultural backgrounds (U.S., Australia, Germany, South Korea, and Mexico). Results revealed historical improvements in physical health for people in their 40s and early 50s across all five nations. Conversely, the direction of historical change in mental health vastly differed across nations. Later-born cohorts of U.S. middle-aged adults exhibit worsening mental health and cognition. Australian middle-aged adults also experienced worsening mental health with historical time. In contrast, historical improvements for mental health were observed in Germany, South Korea, and Mexico. For U.S. middle-aged adults, the protective effect of education diminished in later-born cohorts. Consistent across the other nations, individuals with fewer years of education were most vulnerable to historical declines or benefited the least from historical improvements. We discuss potential reasons underlying similarities and differences between the U.S. and other nations in these historical trends and consider the role of education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Utilizing Principles of Life-Span Developmental Psychology to Study the Complexities of Resilience Across the Adult Life Span.

Life-span developmental psychology includes a broad array of principles that have wide application to studying adult development and aging. Three principles have guided my past, current, and future research: (a) development being a cumulative, lifelong process with no one period taking precedence; (b) multiple processes influence development (e.g., age-, pathology-, nonnormative, and mortality-related processes); and (c) development is multidirectional and multidimensional. This paper elaborates on how these principles have guided my research studying resilience to adversity across the adult life span and how my research aligns with guiding elements of resilience across definitions and literatures. I also discuss my current and future research of applying these principles to studying resilience in midlife, which emphasizes how the defining features of midlife lend themselves to examining resilience, midlife continues to not be well understood, midlife health foreshadows health in old age, and the experience of midlife will evolve in the context of an increasingly diverse society. The last section elaborates on additional directions for future research, such as the promise of intensive longitudinal research designs that incorporate qualitative approaches and examining historical changes in midlife health and well-being. In conclusion, a life-span developmental psychology framework has wide application for elucidating the nature of resilience across the adult life span through the integration of its principles with existing paradigms and research designs that blend contemporary methods with mixed methodology.

Is well-being prior to receiving rehabilitation services associated with postrehabilitation mental health and functioning?

OBJECTIVES: Millions of older adults receive rehabilitation services every year, which aim to restore, maintain, or limit decline in functioning. We examine whether lower reported well-being prior to receiving rehabilitation services is associated with increased odds of worsening anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and impairment in self-care and household activities following rehabilitation. METHODS: Data come from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Our sample consists of 811 NHATS participants who, in the 2015 interview, had information on well-being and, in the 2016 interview, reported receiving rehabilitation services in the prior year. RESULTS: In multivariable logistic regression analyses, compared to the highest quartile, those in the lowest quartile of well-being at baseline have increased odds of having worsening depressive symptoms (OR = 9.25, 95% CI: 3.78-22.63) and worsening impairments in self-care activities (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.12-5.11). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that older adults with the lowest levels of baseline well-being may be susceptible to having worsening depressive symptoms and impairment in self-care activities following rehabilitation services. Examination on whether consideration of well-being during the rehabilitation process could lead to better mental health and functional outcomes following rehabilitation is needed.

Post-traumatic growth as positive personality change: Challenges, opportunities, and recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: Post-traumatic growth typically refers to enduring positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity, trauma, or highly challenging life circumstances. Critics have challenged insights from much of the prior research on this topic, pinpointing its significant methodological limitations. In response to these critiques, we propose that post-traumatic growth can be more accurately captured in terms of personality change-an approach that affords a more rigorous examination of the phenomenon. METHOD: We outline a set of conceptual and methodological questions and considerations for future work on the topic of post-traumatic growth. RESULTS: We provide a series of recommendations for researchers from across the disciplines of clinical/counseling, developmental, health, personality, and social psychology and beyond, who are interested in improving the quality of research examining resilience and growth in the context of adversity. CONCLUSION: We are hopeful that these recommendations will pave the way for a more accurate understanding of the ubiquity, durability, and causal processes underlying post-traumatic growth.

Toward a More Credible Understanding of Post-Traumatic Growth.

Traditional research on post-traumatic growth has utilized methodologically flawed cross-sectional designs that involve retrospective assessments of post-traumatic growth. This has resulted in a majority of research in this field suffering from a lack of credibility and reliability. In this special issue, we present nine articles that seek to make innovative conceptual and methodological contributions with the goal of promoting better research practices on post-traumatic growth. In the introduction to this special issue, we provide an overview of these contributions, and discuss the implications of these articles both to improving future scholarship and to encouraging personality scientists to examine this important phenomenon in the years and decades to come.

Dimensions of childhood trauma and their direct and indirect links to PTSD, impaired control over drinking, and alcohol-related-problems.

INTRODUCTION: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after experiencing events that evoke fear, helplessness, or horror. The Hyperarousablity Hypothesis suggests that those with PTSD may drink more to dampen physiological reactivity. We examined the direct and indirect relationships between childhood trauma (e.g., physical-neglect, emotional-abuse, physical-abuse, sexual-abuse) versus an emotionally-supportive-family on PTSD, impaired control over drinking (IC), alcohol-use, and alcohol-related-problems. IC reflects consuming more alcohol than one originally intended. METHODS: We fit a multiple-group SEM to data on 835 participants. Mediational analyses were conducted by using the (K = 20,000) bootstrap technique with confidence intervals. RESULTS: Physical-neglect was directly linked to more IC among both genders. Emotional abuse was also found to be directly linked to more PTSD among both genders. Furthermore, PTSD was directly linked to more impaired control over alcohol use (IC) among both genders. Mediational analyses showed that physical-neglect was indirectly linked to more alcohol-related-problems through increased IC. Having an emotionally supportive family was directly linked to fewer PTSD symptoms among women. For both genders, emotional abuse was indirectly linked to more alcohol-related-problems through more PTSD symptoms, impaired control over alcohol use difficulties, and in turn, more alcohol-use. Sexual abuse was indirectly linked to increased alcohol-related- problems through increased PTSD symptoms and more IC, and in turn, more alcohol-use among men. CONCLUSIONS: Recalled childhood trauma (sexual and emotional abuse) may contribute to PTSD symptoms and dysregulated drinking. In conclusion, our data suggest that reducing PTSD symptoms may assist individuals in regaining control over their drinking.

Midlife in the 2020s: Opportunities and challenges.

Development is a cumulative, lifelong process, but strikingly little is known about development in midlife. As a consequence, many misconceptions exist about the nature of midlife and the developmental milestones and challenges faced by middle-aged adults. We first review dominant views and empirical research that has debunked false narratives. Next, we discuss major opportunities and challenges of midlife. This includes the unique constellation of roles and life transitions that are distinct from earlier and later life phases as well as shifting trends in mental and physical health and in family composition. We additionally highlight the importance of (historical shifts in) intergenerational dynamics of middle-aged adults with their aging parents, adult children, and grandchildren; financial vulnerabilities that emerge and often accrue from economic failures and labor market volatility; the shrinking social and health care safety net; and the rising costs of raising children. In doing so, we discuss issues of diversity and note similarities and differences in midlife experiences across race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We consider midlife as a pivotal period that includes a focus on balancing gains and losses, linking earlier and later life periods, and bridging generations. Finally, we propose possibilities for promoting reversibility and resilience with interventions and policy changes. The suggested agenda for future research promises to reconceptualize midlife as a key period of life, with a concerted effort to focus on the diversity of midlife experiences in order to meet the unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the 2020s and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).