Researchers: There's No Such Thing As A Mid-Life Crisis
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Most doctors say a mid-life crisis might occur anywhere from age 37 all the way through your 50s, for men and women.
It's defined as a crisis of identity or self-confidence that usually strikes those who are in a period of transition.
It brings to mind that longstanding stereotype about the guy who impulsively buys the red sports car or dumps his wife for a younger girlfriend.
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But researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada now say a mid-life crisis isn't real... it's just a myth!
They followed a group of high school students for 25 years and a group of college students for 14 years.
The participants were all asked the same question at different ages: How happy are you with your life?
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They found that as the people aged, they became happier and more secure.
Interestingly, those who were married and in good health were happier than younger participants who were unemployed.
The findings were initially published online in Developmental Psychology in September.