Individuals who highly prioritised having children in their 20s but did not become parents experienced declines in mental health, [1] cognitive well-being, and affective well-being in midlife, according to a new study.
In contrast, those who disengaged from the goal of having children later in life showed increases in life satisfaction, suggesting that adjusting expectations plays a crucial role in long-term well-being.
Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a large, nationally representative dataset that tracks individuals over time, the authors found gender differences, with fathers reporting significantly lower levels of loneliness in midlife compared to both mothers and individuals without children, suggesting that fatherhood may offer unique social benefits.
Young adults who did not become parents reported better mental health and lower levels of negative affect compared to those who eventually had children. However, they also reported lower levels of positive affect and higher loneliness, suggesting a more stable but emotionally subdued experience compared to the greater emotional variability associated with parenthood.