Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
November 2, 2026
Summary:
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.
Published in
Journal of Marriage and Family
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.70133
ISSN
222445
Subjects
Notes
© 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Marriage and Family published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Online Early
#589283