ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the issues relevant to middle adulthood and ways in which social workers might assist people in improving their quality of life. It deals with specific issues that tend to occur for individuals in middle age: menopause, the male climacteric, midlife crisis, and chronic illness and disease. The chapter discusses issues surrounding middle adulthood that involve family, relationships, and changing social and other roles and examines love, marriage, divorce, and remarriage. Motivational interviewing promotes behavior change by creating an environment of empathy, developing cognitive dissonance in the client, and exploring client ambivalence so that the client can begin to argue for change. Hormone replacement therapy is one option for women to help ease the symptoms of menopause and prevent problems that can be brought on by menopause. Psychological reactions to menopause vary significantly among women, depending on their personalities, coping skills, support systems, overall health, and general attitudes about life and aging.
