‘Midlife Crisis’ and the scramble for fresh personal purposes amongst middle-aged men

Abstract

The universality of the midlife crisis has cost so many middle-aged men, with so many men rebooting and restarting their lives in the scramble for a fresh personal purpose. The researcher’s inquisitiveness about the experiences of middle-aged men in an identified community in Masvingo, Zimbabwe ignited the study. However, little research has been carried out in this nation concerning the subject under study. The study aimed to understand the psychological and social experiences of middle-aged men and how midlife crises can facilitate marital instabilities and a drastic change in social life. A narrative biography was obtained from the seven men in-depth interviewed. The purposively selected participants were between the ages of 35 and 45. Confirmation of the different studies that have been carried out in the West, many middle-aged men experience a lot of psychological challenges, including depression, stress, insomnia, and others. The study discovered that the escalation of divorce rates is rooted in the challenges associated with the midlife crisis. Many middle-aged men are not aware of marriage counseling, with quite a number less or not knowledgeable about the existence of psychological services. The study exposed the need for educational campaigns and midlife crisis awareness to the populace.

Keywords: Crisis; death; middle age; midlife crisis; scramble; well-being.