Empty Nest Syndrome

Empty Nest Syndrome

“Empty nest syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis. Instead,
it’s a phenomenon where parents experience feelings of
sadness and loss when the last child leaves home”.1

Umbrella

What may the Empty Nest Syndrome Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Empty Nest Syndrome
  • Midlife Empty Nest Syndrome

Definition

What is empty nest syndrome?

Depending on the Source (DotS) the definition of empty nest syndrome may vary. In 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest the (United States) Mayo Clinic’s definition is:

“Empty nest syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis. Instead, it’s a phenomenon where parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home”.2

In How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: What Is Empty Nest Syndrome? dated 16 August 2024, the (United States) Cleveland Clinic’s definition is:

“Empty nest syndrome is the complicated tangle of feelings parents experience when their children move out of the family home and begin their adult lives. It’s not a diagnosable mental health issue, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. All that emotional upheaval and anticipatory grief can have a big impact, from prompting a broader existential crisis to causing physical symptoms or catastrophic thinking”.3

Age Group

What age group is empty nest syndrome associated with?

In Empty Nest Syndrome: What Age Group Is Empty Nest Associated With? the (United States) PsychCentral elaborate on:

“Parents and caregivers in the United States are usually between 40 and 60 years old when they begin empty nesting. Life events and stages, such as second marriages, late childbearing, or being grandparent caregivers, can affect when the syndrome starts.

Empty nest syndrome age may also be different in cultures and countries with varying child care arrangements”.4

Symptoms

What may be symptoms of empty nest syndrome?

In How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: Symptoms the Cleveland Clinic explain:

Empty Nest Syndrome“Again, empty nest syndrome isn’t a diagnosable psychiatric condition, but Dr. Borland says people experiencing it tend to experience some or all of the following feelings:

  • Fear
  • Grief
  • Sadness
  • Guilt
  • Stress
  • Loneliness
  • Irritability
  • Emptiness
  • Powerlessness
  • Rejection
  • Apathy
  • Hopelessness

If these sound like symptoms of anxiety and depression, it’s because they are. Think of empty nest syndrome as a milder, situational version of these conditions. If these feelings intensify or seriously impact your daily life, you may be dealing with something more serious”.5

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and mental health?

In Menopause and Mental Health: Mental Health Symptoms Related To Menopause the Australasian Menopause Society note:

“Some of the common physical, memory and thinking symptoms related to menopause (hot flushes, night sweats, sleep and sexual disturbances, weight changes and “brain fog”) can complicate and overlap with mental health symptoms.

Another complicating factor is stress related to life circumstances. Feeling stress is common during middle age as personal and environmental changes take place. This can have a strong effect on mood in some women. Life circumstances that can impact mental health include:

  • Caring for children
  • Empty Nest SyndromeCaring for elderly parents
  • Career changes
  • Relationship changes
  • Ageing
  • Body changes
  • Illness.

The menopause transition is an ideal time to take stock of all aspects of your health and consider lifestyle and other changes so that you can live the healthiest possible lifestyle”.6

Coping

How can parents cope with empty nest syndrome?

In 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest: Advice for the Transition the Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“Here are a few tips if you’re experiencing feelings of loss due to empty nest syndrome:

  • Accept the timing…
  • Keep in touch…
  • Seek support…
  • Stay positive…”.7

Benefits

What benefits may accompany an empty nest?

In 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest: Benefits To Empty Nesters the Mayo Clinic explain:

“As hard as the change may be, having an empty nest can bring benefits to parents. Recent studies suggest that an empty nest might reduce work and family conflicts. Having an empty nest also gives parents a new opportunity to reconnect with each other, improve the quality of their marriage and rekindle interests with newfound time”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have empty nest syndrome?

In How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: When To Get Help the Cleveland Clinic elaborate on:

“Everybody’s empty nest journey looks a little bit different. And that’s OK. But it raises a question: How do you know when run-of-the-mill empty nest syndrome has graduated into something more serious? Dr. Borland recommends reaching out to your primary care physician or a mental health professional if you:

  • Don’t feel your symptoms are improving with time — or worry they’re getting worse
  • Experience anxiety, depression, stress or panic to a degree that interferes with your daily life
  • Experience mood swings, like crying without warning or becoming excessively angry
  • Isolate yourself from others or stop doing activities you enjoy
  • Have difficulty concentrating
  • Hear from concerned loved ones that they’ve noticed a change in your behavior
  • Feel you can’t experience happiness like you used to

It’s also important to keep tabs on your physical well-being. The following are good indicators you need additional support…

If you don’t already have a therapist, talk to your primary care provider about getting a referral. Also, consider availing yourself of resources like empty nest support groups and self-help books”.9

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Empty Nest Syndrome?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Empty Nest Syndrome?

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Links

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New or Updated

  1. 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest
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  14. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Menopause and Mental Health: Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Cognitive Changes
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  33. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause and Your Mental Wellbeing [+ Video: Menopause Only Affects You Physically!] [Other Languages and Formats]
  34. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP] [Other Languages and Formats]
  35. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause] [Other Languages and Formats]
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    Empty Nest Syndrome
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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest. 19 September 2022. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/4-tips-for-enjoying-your-empty-nest/ Accessed: 14 July 2026
  2. 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest. 19 September 2022. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/4-tips-for-enjoying-your-empty-nest/ Accessed: 14 July 2026
  3. How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: What Is Empty Nest Syndrome? 16 August 2024. Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/empty-nest-syndrome Accessed: 14 July 2026
  4. Empty Nest Syndrome: What Age Group Is Empty Nest Syndrome Associated? Last Reviewed: 29 October 2021. PsychCentral https://psychcentral.com/health/empty-nest-syndrome#remedies-for-empty-nest-syndrome Accessed: 14 July 2026
  5. How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: Symptoms. 16 August 2024.  Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/empty-nest-syndrome Accessed: 14 July 2026
  6. Menopause and Mental Health: Mental Health Symptoms Related To Menopause. 05 September 2025. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-and-mental-health Accessed: 14 July 2026
  7. 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest: Advice for the Transition. 19 September 2022. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/4-tips-for-enjoying-your-empty-nest/ Accessed: 14 July 2026
  8. 4 Tips for Enjoying Your Empty Nest: Benefits To Empty Nesters. 19 September 2022. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/4-tips-for-enjoying-your-empty-nest/ Accessed: 14 July 2026
  9. How To Cope With Empty Nest Syndrome: When To Get Help. 16 August 2024. Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/empty-nest-syndrome Accessed: 14 July 2026
Topic Last Updated: 14 July 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 14 July 2026

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