Unraveling the Complexity of Midlife: A Mixed Methods Study Among Czech Middle-Aged Adults

Psychological research on middle adulthood has focused on simple trends such as midlife decline or growth. More recent research has developed a more dynamic and contextual view of this period. However, developing such a view of midlife requires an appropriate theoretical and methodological framework. In this study, we used the framework of the dialogical self theory to analyze interviews with 98 participants aged 40–59 about midlife. The analysis categorized the interviews and identified five patterns that characterize the midlife lived experience: dialogical-reflective, discontinuous (predominantly men), integrated (predominantly women), traumatic, and monologic (men only). The validity of these patterns was checked by testing relationships with the Positive and Negative Schedule and the Ego Integrity Scale. We concluded that each pattern characterizing the midlife lived experience represents a particular midlife psychology that is variously associated with the simple trends such as midlife growth, midlife decline, or a balance between these opposites. At the same time, the patterns of the midlife lived experience were rooted in expectations typical of Czech society. In particular, gender-related social expectations played an important role in shaping the midlife experience of women and men.