Article
The Influence of Perceived Family Support on Midlife Crisis Among Middle-Aged Male Employees: The Mediating Effect of Retirement Anxiety Moderated by Individuation
| e-ISSN | 2982-6845 |
| p-ISSN | 1226-4474 |
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Abstract
This study aims to examine whether retirement anxiety mediates the effect of perceived family support on a sense of midlife crisis among middle-aged male employees, and whether this mediating effect varies as a function of individuation. An online self-report survey was conducted with 400 middle-aged male employees, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 and PROCESS macro 4.2. Results showed that the indirect effect of family support on midlife crisis through retirement anxiety differed significantly according to individuation, with a stronger effect at higher levels of individuation. These findings suggest that the protective role of family support operates through retirement anxiety and that this pathway is conditioned by individuation as a developmental factor. This study extends the theoretical understanding of midlife crisis by providing an integrated account of the interplay among family support, retirement anxiety, and individuation. The study also offers practical implications for counseling and educational settings by informing tailored interventions and retirement preparation programs that strengthen family relationships, reduce retirement anxiety, promote individuation, and support early identification and preventive intervention for psychological difficulties during the midlife transition.