The Empty Nest Syndrome in the United Kingdom
Louis MacPherson, Dirk WitteveenABSTRACT
Objective
This study examines the extent to which the “Empty Nest Syndrome” (ENS) is experienced in the United Kingdom—the phenomenon whereby parents experience adverse mental and physical health following their final child leaving home.
Background
Although the ENS has previously been explored in cross‐sectional data, such analyses cannot determine whether effects develop following this life course event or account for time‐variant heterogeneities.
Method
We employ within‐effects, two‐way fixed effects (TWFE), and fixed‐effects individual slopes (FEIS) models on 13 waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study ( N = 12,530).
Results
Using within‐effects regressions we find that parents suffer negligible negative health outcomes following a transition to the empty nest, irrespective of sex, age, or social class. Two‐way fixed effects models indicate no significant associations between becoming an empty‐nester and health. However, women experience a significant decrease in physical health, potentially reflecting reciprocity in mother–child relations—a mechanism previously unconsidered, warranting further investigation.
Conclusion
This study provides a necessary longitudinal perspective on the existence of empty nest syndrome, examining both its mental and physical components.