With findings that challenge previous ideas about midlife and mental health, this study by Elizabeth Hedgeman, Rebecca Hasson, Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, William Herman and Siobán Harlow indicates that self-reported stress for women decreased as they transitioned across midlife. The women were studied using SWAN data over a 15-year period. Although women with less education and increased financial hardship consistently reported higher levels of stress compared to their peers, this difference diminished over time.

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