In heterosexual married couples, women are happier later in life when both partners work in middle age, researchers find
Work can provide meaning and fulfillment even after we stop
Ground Picture / Shutterstock
Women in heterosexual marriages who work in middle age are less likely to be depressed later in life than those who do not.
“It seems natural to think about decisions that we make shaping later life experiences,” says Jocelyn Wikle at Brigham Young University in Utah. Previous research has examined the way that employment can improve mental health for both men and women, Wikle says, but it is unclear if those benefits persist once work has stopped. “As far as …