Author(s): Terri Apter

Menopause/Midlife

This study traces women's midlife course, drawing on detailed interviews with women in their 40s and 50s. It finds that women experience a new sense of themselves, and see the second half of life as an opportunity for psychological growth and fulfilment instead of a time of despair over lost youth and beauty. The author divides them into four distinct categories: traditional, innovative, expansive and protesting. She shows the causes for the midlife crisis and the paths towards resolution for each type.