Couples' adjustment to retirement: a multi-actor panel study

Paid Employment and Mental Health in 65-74-Year-Olds: Analysis of National Data From 2000, 2007 and 2014

INTRODUCTION

Employment rates for people aged 65 and over have been changing rapidly in many countries, but little is known about associations of employment status with mental health status and their stability over time. We therefore investigated mental health associations with employment status in 65-74-year-olds in three national samples.

METHODS

The data for these analyses were drawn from three national surveys of psychiatric morbidity among adults in England living in private households carried out in 2000, 2007, and 2014. Employment status was the primary exposure of interest. Common mental disorder (CMD) and constituent symptoms were ascertained identically in the three surveys from the revised Clinical Interview Schedule. Covariates included identical demographic, social and physical health measures.

RESULTS

A significant association between non-employment and CMD was present in 2007 (odds ratio 2.66 [95% CI: 1.02-7.83]) but there was no significant association between non-employment and CMD in 2000 or 2014. The largest attenuation in the association between non-employment and CMD was seen when adjusted for physical health related factors. In combined samples, non-employment was most strongly associated with self-reported cognitive difficulties (OR 1.25, 1.01-1.61), depressive ideas (1.30, 1.01-1.67), worry (1.30, 1.01-1.68), and anxiety (1.27, 1.00-1.64) as constituent CMD symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Evidence is still unclear whether employment after statutory retirement ages is associated with better mental health, and associations may be symptom-specific. In the light of policies to encourage older workers to remain active in the labour market, more research is needed into the interrelationships between paid work and mental health, as well as other outcomes.

Gender disparity regarding the impact of retirement on marital satisfaction: Evidence from a longitudinal study of older Korean adults

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of retirement on marital satisfaction by gender on Koreans aged >45 years in a large, nationally representative cohort.

METHODS

Retirement status and marital satisfaction data of 5867 individuals were analysed. Marital dissatisfaction was defined as a satisfaction score reduction of more than 10 points versus the previous wave. Lagged generalised estimating equation (GEE) models adjusted for demographics (age, sex, education level and household income), health-related habits (smoking and drinking status) and comorbidities (obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression and frailty) were used to confirm the relationship between retirement and marital dissatisfaction.

RESULTS

The final GEE model adjusted for covariates revealed sex-specific differences in marital satisfaction after retirement. Whereas male retirees reported higher satisfaction than non-retired men, female retiree responses revealed lower satisfaction than non-retired women. Furthermore, these trends were consistent regardless of the time elapsed after retirement.

CONCLUSIONS

Marital satisfaction should be screened in women during the transition to retirement.

Bridge Employment or Encore Career? Examining Predictors That Distinguish Later-Life Career Transitions

OBJECTIVES

Bridge employment and encore careers are 2 prevalent retirement pathways that have different goals and outcomes. Yet, "changing jobs in later life" is the shared prequel that blurs the distinction between them in empirical studies. This study proposes a set of criteria-voluntariness of career transition and the duration of work in the posttransition job-to distinguish various retirement pathways and investigates the predictors that distinguish the workers' choice of these pathways.

METHODS

I conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine the predictors that distinguish between bridge employment, encore career, and direct workforce exit using the longitudinal sample of respondents with full-time career jobs in the Health and Retirement Study 1992-2020 (HRS, N = 2,038). To examine the predictors that distinguish between bridge employment and encore careers, I conducted logistic regression on the subsample of respondents who chose either bridge employment or encore careers (n = 927).

RESULTS

The results show that the accumulated human capital from career jobs, physical and mental health conditions before leaving career jobs, and self-identified retirement status when transitioning to new jobs distinguish the workers' choices of taking on different retirement pathways.

DISCUSSION

Maintaining the labor force participation of older workers is an important human resource agenda for policymakers. This study suggests that increasing the number of quality jobs for older workers would promote bridge employment and encore careers by raising the benefits of making career transitions as well as improving older workers' health.

The impact of physical activity on household out-of-pocket medical expenditure among adults aged 45 and over in urban China: The mediating role of spousal health behaviour

Background

Increasing medical expenditure is viewed as one of the critical challenges in the context of population ageing. Physical activity (PA), as a primary prevention strategy for promoting health, is considered as an effective way to curb the excessive growth in medical expenditure. This study aimed to analyze the association between PA and the household out-of-pocket medical expenditure (HOPME) among Chinese urban adults aged 45 and over, and to explore the mediating role of spousal health behaviour.

Methods

This study analyzed a nationally longitudinal survey: 2014-2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Fixed effects regression model was applied to estimate the association between PA and annual HOPME. Sobel model was utilized to test the mediating effect.

Results

(1) PA was negatively associated with the annual HOPME among urban resident aged 45 and over in China. Exercising 1-5 times per week and maintaining the duration of each exercise session at 31-60 min were effective in reducing annual HOPME. (2) Spousal PA played a significant mediating role in the relationship between respondent's PA and annual HOPME. (3) The negative association between the respondent's PA and HOPME were found among women and those aged between 45 and 65, so was the mediating effect of spouse's PA.

Conclusion

Individual PA not only directly reduces HOPME but also indirectly contributes to this reduction by enhancing the PA levels of their spouses. To capitalize on these benefits, more actions should be taken to increase the availability of PA facilities, enhance the public awareness of PA's benefits, and encourage residents to consistently engage in regular PA.

The Gender of Retirement in a Double-Ageing Country: Perspectives and Experiences of Retired Women and Men in Portugal

This article aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of women and men at the stage in their lives following professional retirement, enriching the present and future of a continuously ageing Portuguese society. In order to better capture the diversity and complexity of each individual's experiences, a qualitative methodology was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with sixteen retired people, eight women and eight men, aged between 59 and 88 years old. A thematic analysis allowed us to identify five themes in the interviewees' discourses. We concluded that gender may be a source of heterogeneity at this stage of life, suggesting that these findings should be analysed in the scope of a life course perspective, and highlighting the impact that the different trajectories of women and men have, as well as the historical and social context in which they take place.

Retirement and Sexual Satisfaction

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although interest in sexuality in older age has increased over the last decades, few studies have focused on longitudinal change in sexual satisfaction around retirement age. In the present study, we studied change in sexual satisfaction across retirement in a sample of Swedish older adults with a partner.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Our analyses were based on n = 759 participants (359 male, 400 female) from the longitudinal Health, Aging, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden study. For this study, we used 5 waves spanning over a period of 4 years.

RESULTS

On average, sexual satisfaction did not change significantly before retirement, but decreased after retirement. Interestingly, women showed higher sexual satisfaction than men, as well as a more positive development of both pre- and postretirement sexual satisfaction. Individuals with higher relationship satisfaction had a higher sexual satisfaction until retirement, but their sexual satisfaction also decreased faster after retirement, whereas those with lower relationship satisfaction showed a stable but lower sexual satisfaction.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Sexual satisfaction can change in the retirement transition in several important ways and further studies on the impact of retirement and other late-life stage transitions are warranted.

Does retirement trigger depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Retirement is a major life transition that may improve or worsen mental health, including depression. Existing studies provide contradictory results. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to quantitatively pool available evidence on the association of retirement and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We applied PRISMA guidelines to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to retrieve, quantitatively pool and critically evaluate the association between retirement and both incident and prevalent depression and to understand better the potential role of individual and contextual-level determinants. Relevant original studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library, through 4 March 2021. Subgroup and sensitivity meta-analyses were conducted by gender, study design (longitudinal v. cross-sectional studies), study quality score (QS) and considering studies using validated scales to diagnose depression. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated with I2 statistics.

RESULTS

Forty-one original studies met our a priori defined inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis on more than half a million subjects (n = 557 111) from 60 datasets suggested a protective effect of retirement on the risk of depression [effect size (ES) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.74-0.93], although with high statistical heterogeneity between risk estimates (χ2 = 895.19, df = 59, I2 = 93.41%, p-value < 0.0001). Funnel plot asymmetry and trim and fill method suggested a minor potential publication bias. Results were consistent, confirm their robustness and suggest stronger protective effects when progressively restricting the included studies based on quality criteria: (i) studies with the highest QS [55 datasets, 407 086 subjects, ES = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71-0.91], (ii) studies with a high QS and using validated assessment tools to diagnose depression (44 datasets, 239 453 subjects, ES = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.88) and (iii) studies of high quality, using a validated tool and with a longitudinal design (24 datasets, 162 004 subjects, ES = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.64-0.90). We observed a progressive reduction in funnel plot asymmetry. About gender, no statistically significant difference was found (females ES = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.61-1.02 v. men ES = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.68-1.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Pooled data suggested that retirement reduces by nearly 20% the risk of depression; such estimates got stronger when limiting the analysis to longitudinal and high-quality studies, even if results are affected by high heterogeneity.As retirement seems to have an independent and protective effect on mental health and depressive symptoms, greater flexibility in retirement timing should be granted to older workers to reduce their mental burden and avoid the development of severe depression. Retirement may also be identified as a target moment for preventive interventions, particularly primary and secondary prevention, to promote health and wellbeing in older ages, boosting the observed impact.

Exploring the relationship between working history, retirement transition and women's life satisfaction

How does the transition to retirement affect female subjective wellbeing? The major theoretical perspectives that have been applied as frameworks to study the heterogeneous adjustment to retirement include role theory and continuity theory. They have often been integrated with a lifecourse approach, which allows us to study retirement as a transition set inside a lifelong process. In this paper, I assess how working life courses are related to changes in subjective wellbeing before and after retirement, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and concentrating on women. Firstly, I conduct sequence analysis and cluster analysis to identify groups of typical working lifecourses from ages 20 to 50. Secondly, regression models estimate how retirement transition is associated with changes in life satisfaction, according to the different working trajectories. The results show that some of the trajectories, constituted of discontinuity or part-time periods, exhibit a continuous increase in life satisfaction, passing from employment (or unemployment) to retirement. For other trajectories, such as the full-time one, retirement seems not to have implications for subjective wellbeing.

Respite, renewal, retirement and tensions: Australian Men's Sheds and the impact on significant others

The health and wellbeing benefits of Men's Sheds to the men who participate have had significant research attention for over a decade. However, there has been little research into the broader impacts of Men's Sheds, particularly in relation to the impacts on significant others in the lives of the men who participate. Our paper aims to redress this lack of research by focusing on the interrelated perceptions and experiences of men and those closest to them in four Men's Sheds in regional Victoria, Australia. The research shows that the partners and carers of ‘shedders’ reported that the men's participation not only benefited the men but also had benefits for their significant others. The study also showed that the partners of shedders in the study found that their individual and joint adjustment to retirement was in some cases assisted by the men enjoying the social and structured environment of the Men's Shed, while in other cases it was seen by partners as an over-commitment and impacting negatively on the marriage. The findings also shed some important light on some tensions experienced by the partners associated with carer burden and adjustments to retirement.

Adjustment of Couples to the Transition to Retirement: The Interplay of Intra- and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation in Daily Life

Background: Retirement is a central transition in late adulthood and requires adjustment. These processes not only affect the retired individuals but also their romantic partners. The aim of this study is to investigate the interplay of intrapersonal emotion regulation (rumination) with interpersonal regulation processes (disclosure quality). Furthermore, the associations of daily retirement-related disclosure with adjustment symptoms in disclosing and the listening partner will be investigated. It is expected that the effects of disclosure alter after providing the couples with a self-applied solitary written disclosure task in order to support their intrapersonal emotion regulation. Methods: In this dyadic online-diary study, 45 couples (N = 45) with one partner perceiving the adjustment to a recent retirement as challenging reported rumination, perceived disclosure quality (repetitive, focused on negative content, hard to follow, disclosing partner open for common/authentic), retirement-related disclosure, and ICD-11 adjustment symptoms preoccupation and failure to adapt were assessed at the end of the day over 14 days. In the middle of this assessment period, couples performed a modified online-expressive writing about their thoughts and feelings regarding the transition to retirement. Results: The double-intercept multilevel Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) reveal that on days with more daily rumination, the spouse perceived that disclosure of the retiree is more difficult to follow, more negative, and repetitive. In contrast, the retiree perceived less authenticity and openness to comments during disclosure on days when the spouse reports more rumination. Retirement-related disclosure showed no within-couple association with failure to adapt but actor effects on preoccupation. Moreover, a partner effect of disclosure of the retirees on the preoccupation of spouses could be observed. This contagious effect of the retiree disclosure, however, disappeared during the week after writing. Conclusion: Our results support the notion that disclosure processes are altered during maladaptive intrapersonal emotion regulation processes. This in turn seems to lead to less effective interpersonal regulation and contagious spilling over of symptoms. Supporting intrapersonal emotion regulation seems to have the potential to allow more favorable interpersonal regulation processes and to free interpersonal resources for an individual adjustment. This has implications for further planning of support for couples facing life transitions and aging-related changes.

Towards an active and happy retirement? Changes in leisure activity and depressive symptoms during the retirement transition

Objectives: Retirement is a major life transition in the second half of life, and it can be associated with changes in leisure activity engagement. Although theories of retirement adjustment have emphasized the need to find meaningful activities in retirement, little is known about the nature of changes in leisure activity during the retirement transition and their association with mental health.Methods: Based on four annual waves of the 'Health, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden' study, we investigated the longitudinal association of leisure activity engagement and depressive symptoms using bivariate dual change score models. We distinguished intellectual, social, and physical activity engagement.Results: We found increases in all three domains of activity engagement after retirement. Although level and change of activity and depressive symptoms were negatively associated, the coupling parameters were not significant, thus the direction of effects remains unclear.Conclusion: The results highlight the need to consider the role of lifestyle changes for retirement adjustment and mental health.

Consumption of psychotropic drugs among disability pension applicants with mental disorders: comparing awarded and rejected applicants in Finland

PURPOSE

Psychotropic drug consumption as a proxy measure of mental health problems during a disability pension process has only been studied among awarded applicants. This study examined psychotropic drug purchase trajectories among awarded and rejected disability pension applicants. Analyses were conducted in different diagnostic and sociodemographic groups.

METHODS

A representative 70% sample of Finnish adults applying for disability pension due to a mental disorder in 2009-2011 (N = 18,087) was followed for 4 years in 3-month periods both before and after the pension decision. Register data on purchased drugs measured in defined daily doses (DDDs), gender, age, occupational class, unemployment history, and diagnostic group were used. The DDD levels and trends were analyzed using growth curve models.

RESULTS

Psychotropic drug purchases increased before the pension decision and decreased gradually thereafter among both awarded and rejected applicants. The average DDD level was higher for rejected than awarded applicants before the decision but lower thereafter. The high pre-decision level for rejected applicants was explicit with a lower socioeconomic status. The pre-decision increase in DDDs was steeper for awarded applicants. Changes in DDDs before and after the decision were most prominent for depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.

CONCLUSION

Awarded and rejected disability pension applicants differed partly in their trajectories of psychotropic drug consumption. For awarded applicants, the steep rise of consumption prior to the award possibly reflects worsening occupational capacity. Early high consumption for rejected applicants signals long running mental health problems and calls for earlier support.

Gender Disparities in Life Satisfaction after Retirement: The Role of Leisure, Family, and Finances

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Recent research on life satisfaction in retirement explores gender differences but yields inconsistent patterns and does not consider gendered sources of satisfaction. We use a gender relations framework to examine whether women and men experience different changes in life satisfaction with retirement, and whether observed differences are a consequence of different assessments of the leisure, family, and financial situations that characterize their post-retirement lives.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We use longitudinal data drawn from men and women in the Health and Retirement Study who transitioned into retirement between ages 62-72 for the first time between 2008 and 2016 (N=593). We employ Ordinary Least Squares regression and mediation tests to assess gender differences in overall and domain-specific life satisfaction (i.e., leisure, family, finances).

RESULTS

Men reported increased life satisfaction following retirement, but women did not. No gender differences related to leisure or family life post-retirement emerged. Gender was associated with post-retirement satisfaction with finances (p<0.001), with men reporting higher financial satisfaction. Mediation models confirmed a gender disparity in overall life satisfaction mediated by satisfaction with finances post-retirement (p<0.01), explaining approximately one-third of the disparity.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

This study shows men derive greater improvements in life satisfaction in association with retirement than do women, and some of this disparity relates to women's lower satisfaction with their finances. These findings should caution policy-makers from assuming how women's increased labor force participation influences financial security in retirement, and encourage scholars to consider how gender influences subjective assessments of later life.

Life satisfaction among older adults in urban China: does gender interact with pensions, social support and self-care ability?

In urban China, the social welfare system and the family structure have changed dramatically, while gender norms are still deep-rooted, particularly among older adults. Under this social, demographic and cultural context, this study aims to take a gender-specific perspective to investigate whether and how gender moderates the roles of pensions, social support and self-care ability on older adults’ life satisfaction. Based on the survey data collected from 2,047 older adults aged 65 years and over in urban China in 2018, multiple linear regressions were applied to explore the moderation effects. The results show that the pension is important to older adults’ life satisfaction regardless of gender. For social support, the association between family support and life satisfaction is stronger for older men than for older women; interdependent social support, especially being a confidant, matters more to women than to men. The interaction between self-care ability and gender reveals some interesting patterns: self-care ability is found to have a positive association with women's life satisfaction but a negative association with men's. This study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how gender intertwines with the most important factors of older adult's life satisfaction in China – a society with strong gender norms and a patriarchal culture. These findings could be relevant to other Asian societies.

Retirement anxiety and depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults: An indirect effect through death anxiety

Basing our argument on Terror Management Theory, we posit that retirement is an age-related transition, which could result in greater death saliency and anxiety, leading to increased depressive symptoms. An indirect-effect model was tested on a convenience sample of 574 Israeli Jewish older workers (mean age = 57), finding that the link between retirement anxiety and depressive symptoms is mediated through death anxiety. Anxious anticipation of retirement could imply that the individual perceives it as an "end," resulting in greater death saliency and death anxiety, which are related to poorer mental health. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Partners' adjustment to older workers' retirement: testing the role of preretirement expectations in a 10-year panel study

Objectives: Retirement is not only an important later-life transition for the retiring individual, but also for his or her life partner. This study aims to improve our understanding of the partner's adjustment to the retirement of the older worker, by paying attention to the multidimensional nature of adjustment, and by examining to what extent preretirement expectations are predictive of postretirement experiences. Well-established adjustment predictors - i.e. preretirement resources and characteristics of the work and retirement context - are also taken into account. Method: Analyses are based on Dutch three-wave multi-actor panel data, collected between 2001 and 2011 among 724 partners of older workers who transitioned into retirement during the course of the study. Results: Only a minority of the partners reported adjustment difficulties to the retirement of the employee. About 20 percent reported at least some financial problems, 8 percent reported relationship problems, and 10 percent reported problems with shared leisure time. Expected problems in all three domains were predictive of experienced problems in the same domain. For expected financial problems, a cross-over effect was observed: expected financial problems were also predictive of experienced adjustment difficulties with regards to shared leisure activities. Conclusion: Not only the older worker, but also the partner develops expectations on different dimensions about the shared postretirement future, and these expectations are related to postretirement experiences. Retirement counseling may therefore not only be relevant for older workers, but also for their partners, and needs to take the multidimensional character of retirement processes into account.

Pathways to retirement: Are they related to patterns of short- and long-term subjective well-being?

We examine the association between pathways to retirement and patterns of subjective well-being in Germany. We argue that short-term development of subjective well-being is related to social status changes while long-term development of subjective well-being is related to resources and changes in life circumstances. Importantly, we expect that how a person's social status changes and his/her access to resources post-retirement both depend on the person's specific pathway to retirement, resulting in distinct patterns of subjective well-being post-retirement. Based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we categorized people as retiring from employment, short- or long-term unemployment, labour market inactivity or due to disability. We then used dual-change score models to compare trajectories of life satisfaction ten years before to ten years after the retirement transition. For people retiring from employment, life satisfaction did not change in the short term but developed more positively in the long term. In comparison, people retiring from unemployment or due to disability experienced a short-term increase in life satisfaction but had more negative long-term trajectories of life satisfaction. We found no retirement-related changes in life satisfaction for people retiring from inactivity. The findings suggest that different pathways to retirement are related to distinct patterns of subjective well-being and highlight the importance of late-life employment biographies for quality of life post-retirement.

What Happens to Retirement Plans, and Does This Affect Retirement Satisfaction?

This study examines the role of planning and plan fulfillment for retirement satisfaction using a dynamic resource theory approach. A 3-year qualitative longitudinal design was deployed with interviews conducted first on the cusp of retirement, then 1 and 2 years after retirement. The final sample comprised 41 individuals from England, 40 from Italy, and 30 from the United States. Realizing plans was found to be linked to retirement satisfaction. However, many retirees adjusted well to retirement without planning in advance, or when plans were thwarted, and sometimes retirement did not live up to expectations despite fulfillment of plans. Psychological resources and resilience were key dimensions of satisfaction regardless of planning. Retirement satisfaction was also associated with social integration, adoption of new social roles, and opportunities to be active within and beyond the private sphere, such as volunteering or participating in leisure oriented clubs or activities. Regardless of planning, the quality of family relationships was a particularly important element for retirement satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

The Elderly Perceived Meanings and Values of Virtual Reality Leisure Activities: A Means-End Chain Approach

This study uses means-end chain (MEC) techniques to examine the awareness, decision-making procedure, and personal values of the elderly with regard to virtual reality leisure activities. The results of the study show that elderly respondents value virtual reality leisure activities that are fun, safe, and easy. In terms of outcome benefits, elderly respondents value feeling physically and mentally healthy, firsthand experience, and satisfied curiosity. In value terms, elderly respondents hope that their chosen virtual reality leisure activities improve not only their relationships with others, but also their enjoyment, quality of life, and sense of belonging. The results show that, while consumers with different awarenesses of virtual reality leisure activities have different decision-making processes, they share creating “good memories” as the terminal value with the most significant effect. This presents a potential opportunity to promote virtual reality leisure activities. Relevant bodies or enterprises can seek to create good memories in consumers by developing activities that are safe and fun, promote good health, and provide good service, thereby attracting the interest of elderly consumers.

Work-Hour Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms among Midlife and Older Married Couples

Life course theories highlight the importance of understanding psychological health of aging individuals in context. Work and marriage are influential contexts in later life that are increasingly relevant because both spouses of many households work and individuals are delaying retirement. Although there is extensive literature on predictors of depressive symptoms, incorporating life course histories of work and social contexts has been a critical omission in the aging and health field. This study identifies couples' work trajectories as a function of husband's and wife's weekly work hours and examines the link between couple work-hour trajectory membership and individual depressive symptoms. Data are from 1641 married couples who participated in the 1998-2012 waves (ages 51-89) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Findings revealed six distinct subgroups of work-hour trajectories among couples and that membership in these subgroups was associated with depressive symptoms. Retiring husbands with wives who continued to work and wives who worked minimally throughout the years (regardless of whether their husbands worked or retired) reported more depressive symptoms than other subgroups. These results suggest that work trajectories themselves, beyond current health status, may carry differential psychological health risk. Moreover, several sociodemographic and life course factors in 1998 were significant predictors of trajectory membership. These findings provide insight into midlife factors that may influence work trajectories (and the potential health risk) through to older adulthood. They suggest that a life course examination of work and social contexts is needed for a greater understanding of individual and couple health development.

The Psychometric Properties of the Scale of Retired Spousal Intrusion

Abstract. This study examined the psychometric properties of Retired Spousal Intrusion Scale (SRSI). The calibration study was conducted with a sample of women (n = 687) whose husbands were retired, resulting in a one factor scale consisting of six items. Validation study, discriminant validity and test-retest were conducted in a second sample of women (n = 756) whose husbands were retired. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the unidimensional factor model had adequate fit with values x2/df = 4.61, GFI = .98, AGFI = .96, CFI = .96, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .05. In addition, the correlation of the SRSI with conceptually unrelated measures (dyadic adjustment scale and quality of life) supported the discriminant validity of the SRSI. Finally, analyses showed that SRSI is a valid and reliable measure to assess retired husbands’ intrusion on their wives.

Increasing physical activity in older adults: Walking by prescription in primary care

Aim

The present study (PTDC/SAU-SAP/110799/2009) funded by the Portuguese Government (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – FCT) aimed to test the effectiveness of a behaviour based intervention combined with a cognitive based one, designed to increase physical activity levels in older adults at Primary Health Care Centres.

Method

A total of 108 participants aged over 65 years participated in the study. Participants were referred by their General Practitioner (GP) and randomized by gender and marital status at the moment they started the program (single vs. couple), and allocated into one of three conditions: goal intention, action planning, action planning and coping planning. All participants received a pedometer and a logbook and were asked to register their daily number of steps for a period of 24 weeks. Study follows a longitudinal design with five assessments over a 6-month after baseline.

Results

The test between subjects’ effects revealed an interaction between condition and participating in the study as single vs. couple. Older adults participating as singles walked more steps on average in the condition goal intention plus action planning and coping planning, whereas participants that entered in the study with their spouse, goal intention without any other planning intervention was the most effective intervention.

Conclusion

The 24-week physical activity program based on the recent developments of behavioural-cognitive framework, has proven useful increasing older adults daily walking behaviour.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in a Sample of Early Retirees Enrolled in University Programs

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were twofold-first, to use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to help assess which of the previously identified factor structures (identified through exploratory factor analysis) best fits a Spanish-language version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and second, to validate the MSPSS (and its subscales) for use among early retirees.

METHODS

The psychometric properties of the MPSS were analyzed in a sample of 991 Spanish early retirees enrolled in university programs. Participants had an average age of 62.7 years (SD = 5.89). An exploratory factor analysis and second-order confirmatory factor analysis were developed to identify the factorial solution and the best model fit.

RESULTS

The three factors identified were MSPSS significant others, MSPSS friends, and MSPSS family. Regarding reliability and validity, internal consistency indices were above .92 and the correlation between perceived social support subscales and measures of satisfaction with life in retirement were significantly positive.

CONCLUSION

The Spanish language version of the MSPSS demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties in relation to internal structure and reliability, and all but one of the goodness-of-fit indices emerging from the CFA also supported this factor structure. The practical implications of the scale in different populations and the problems in relation to the three-factor solution and the index values obtained are discussed.

Job Satisfaction, Retirement Attitude and Intended Retirement Age: A Conditional Process Analysis across Workers' Level of Household Income

In the contemporary workplace, insight into retirement behaviors is of crucial importance. Previous empirical evidence has found mixed results regarding the relationship between work attitudes, such as job satisfaction, and retirement behaviors, suggesting that further scholarly examination incorporating moderating and mediating variables into retirement models is needed. Drawing on comparative models of attitude to retirement, we hypothesized a direct relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age for workers with a high household income and an indirect relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for workers with a low or mean household income. We collected data from a sample of 590 United Kingdom workers aged 50+. Using conditional process analysis, we found that the underlying mechanisms in our research model differ according to socio-economic status. We found no direct effect between job satisfaction and intended retirement age. However, an indirect effect was observed between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for both low- and mean-household income individuals. Specifically, the relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude differed according to socio-economic group: for high-household income older workers, there was no relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. However, for low- and mean-household income older workers, we observed a negative relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. Otherwise stated, increases in job satisfaction for mean and low household income workers are likely to make the prospect of retirement less attractive. Therefore, we argue that utmost care must be taken around the conditions under which lower income employees will continue their work when getting older in order to protect their sustainable employability.

Work–retirement cultures: a further piece of the puzzle to explain differences in the labour market participation of older people in Europe?

The article examines to what extent culture is a further piece of the puzzle to explain differences in the labour market participation of older people in Europe. This approach is in clear contrast to the existing literature on that topic which is largely economically oriented and more focused on socio-economic determinants. In the first part, different theoretical conceptions regarding the impact of culture on individual actions are discussed with the aim of developing the concept of work–retirement cultures. In the second part, the article gathers empirical evidence on differences in the work–retirement culture in 22 European societies and analyses the interplay between the work–retirement culture and the labour market participation of people aged between 55 and 64 years using logistic random intercept regression analysis. The analysis draws on the third round of the European Social Survey. The results give some clear indications that the work–retirement culture plays its part in explaining differences in the labour market participation of older people in Europe and thus clarifies that the timing of retirement is not fully determined by pension policies. Accordingly, the results of the study illustrate that it is not sufficient to solely change the legal rules for the transition to retirement. Rather, people need to be additionally convinced of the individual benefits of remaining in employment.

Continuity in Well-Being in the Transition to Retirement

Abstract. We review recent longitudinal studies on change and continuity in well-being during the retirement transition. Our conclusion is that most retirees maintain their level of well-being over retirement. Some studies, however, provide evidence for a substantial heterogeneity and dynamic effects. A smaller subgroup experiences losses in resources and challenges which compromise their well-being. Various adaptive actions seem to help to cope with losses, but we still lack more detailed information about the role and effects of these coping strategies. Future longitudinal studies need to address the role of and interplay among these adaptive behaviors over the retirement transition to improve our understanding of continuity and change in postretirement well-being.

Health Change in Retirement

This study examined health change in retirement. Using multiactor panel data on 778 Dutch older workers who experienced the transition into retirement, ordinary least squares regression models were estimated to explain changes in medical consumption, the severity of health problems, and perceived health. The results show that retirement does not categorically harm or benefit health. Instead, health consequences vary across individuals and according to the health measures adopted. The results suggest that employees' failure to control retirement according to their wishes adversely affects health. Older workers who perceived retirement as involuntary showed decreases in perceived health. The results do not provide empirical support for the hypothesis that the health consequences of retirement differ according to working conditions or job characteristics or older workers' access to resources in terms of income and social contacts. Psychological factors play a role: Fear of retirement and self-efficacy are associated with health change in retirement.

Mapping the Minds of Retirement Planners

This study explored the psychological mechanisms that underlie the retirement planning and saving tendencies of Dutch and American workers. Participants were 988 Dutch and 429 Americans, 25 to 64 years of age. Analyses were designed to (a) examine the extent to which structural variables were related to planning tendencies and (b) develop culture-specific path analysis models to identify the mechanisms that underlie perceived financial preparedness for retirement. Findings revealed striking differences across countries not only among structural variables predictive of key psychological and retirement planning constructs, but also in the robustness of the path models. These findings suggest policy analysts should take into account both individual and cultural differences in the psychological predispositions of workers when considering pension reforms that stress individual responsibility for planning and saving.

What do highly qualified professionally achieving women do after retirement in India? Exploring time use, leisure, and volunteering

This study analyzes the time use of highly qualified professionally achieving (HQPA) women after retirement. Data were collected from a random sample of 1,023 HQPA women in the city of Mumbai, India. HQPA women spent their postretirement time in caregiving and family responsibilities, leisure activities, and volunteer work. Several HQPA women volunteered at social service organizations as the main postretirement activity. In a developing country like India, which is still growing in terms of skilled human resources, this voluntary engagement of experienced and skilled older women is crucial. Policy makers in India and developing nations can promote this.

Effects of voluntary/involuntary retirement on their own and spouses' depressive symptoms

OBJECTIVES

The aim of our study was to elucidate the effect of voluntary/involuntary retirement on individuals' and spouses' depressive symptoms using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA).

METHODS

This study used a sample derived from the first- to fourth-wave cohort datasets of KLoSA, which was conducted in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, we analyzed a total of 6706 subjects. Information about employment status, the short-form Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, and covariates (age, property, household income, perceived health status and medical disability) were obtained. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the effects of voluntary/involuntary retirement on individuals' and spouses' depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The voluntary/involuntary retirement groups showed significantly more depressive symptoms than the working group in wave 1-4, and the same results were revealed in the spouse's retirement and job loss measures. The hazard ratios of depressive symptoms of the voluntary/involuntary retirement groups were 1.26-1.31 during the 6year follow-up period. The wives' risk of depressive symptoms was also significantly increased if their husbands voluntarily retired (HR=1.35, 95% CI=1.10-1.65).

CONCLUSION

During the 6year follow-up study, Voluntary/involuntary retirement increased the risk of depressive symptoms in a Korean elderly population. Furthermore, husbands' voluntary retirement increased wives' risk of depressive symptoms.

Psychosocial factors in retirement intentions and adjustment: a multi-sample study

Purpose

– Retirement adjustment is the process by which aged workers become accustomed to the changed facts of life in the transition from work to retirement and develop psychological well-being in their post-working life. The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychosocial factors that significantly explain retirement intentions and retirement adjustment, using two separate empirical studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Retirement self-efficacy, low work involvement, older worker identity and relative deprivation significantly explained retirement intentions (bridge employment engagement, part-time retirement, late retirement and full retirement) of workers over 60 years (Study 1, n=157). Retirement adjustment indices (retirement satisfaction, feelings of anxiety and depression) were associated with psychosocial factors for retirees (Study 2, n=218).

Findings

– The findings highlight that retirement self-efficacy and older worker identity positively and significantly explained both full retirement of aged workers and retirement satisfaction of retirees. Relative deprivation negatively significantly explained partial and late retirement intentions and retirement satisfaction of retirees.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of these studies are discussed for understanding retirement planning and counselling practice.

Practical implications

– Retirement adjustment conceptualized as a process has important implications for retirement planning, and consequently can influence the project of the life course, as well as career’s decisions.

Social implications

– Social contexts should consider all factors that can negatively affect self-efficacy, work involvement and identity of employees in the mid and late-career stages, and thus contribute to reinforce and strengthen personal and psychosocial resources involved in planning and adaptation to retirement, and to increase the insight into the planning and decisions older workers make to face retirement.

Originality/value

– This work had two goals, pursued by two empirical studies with two samples: workers over 60 years, and retirees. The authors contend that the availability of two different sets of data increases the generalizability of the findings.

Retirement, age, gender and mental health: findings from the 45 and Up Study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationships of retirement and reasons for retirement with psychological distress in men and women at the age of 45-79 years.

METHOD

Data from 202,584 Australians participating in the large-scale 45 and Up Study was used. Psychological distress was measured by the Kessler psychological distress scale. Associations between different work status and reasons for retirement with psychological distress were assessed for men and women at different ages using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Being fully retired or unemployed was associated with the high levels of psychological distress compared to being in paid work for men and women aged 45-64 (p < 0.0001), and for men aged 65-74 years (p ≤ 0.0014). At the age of 75-79 years, there was no difference in psychological distress between different work statuses. Among retirees, retirement due to ill health, being made redundant or caring duty was associated with the high level of psychological distress.

CONCLUSION

The association between work and mental health underscores the importance of policies and strategies to encourage and enable people to continue in the workforce after age 55, particularly for men. Important reasons for retirement with worse mental health outcomes include redundancy, ill health and needing to care for family or a friend. These circumstances will affect whether a person can continue working and their risk of poor mental health, and both considerations should be addressed in developing approaches for maintaining older workers or assisting them with their retirement transition.

Career and Retirement Theories: Relevance for Older Workers Across Cultures

This paper reviews selected career development theories as well as theories specifically focused on retirement, with an emphasis on their application to retirement decisions and vocational behavior in multicultural populations. Theories are evaluated based on whether: (a) retirement was considered a stage of working life, (b) work satisfaction, motivation, and other work variables at retirement age were addressed, (c) work choices at retirement age were included, and (d) cultural and other minority status issues were either directly considered in the work/retirement decision or if the model could be reasonably applied to retirement across cultures. We provide specific recommendations for research and practice with the aim of helping practitioners and scholars conceptualize the current concerns older adults face in their working lives and during retirement planning.

Exploring social inclusivity within the University of the Third Age (U3A): a model of collaborative research

Lifelong learning is believed to have physical, social and emotional benefits for older adults. In recognition of this, numerous programmes encouraging learning in later life exist worldwide. One example is the University of the Third Age (U3A) – a lifelong learning co-operative rooted in peer-support and knowledge sharing. This article is based on a collaborative study conducted by university researchers and members of a U3A in North-East England (United Kingdom) investigating the social inclusivity of the group in light of low attendance levels among those from social housing and non-professional backgrounds. A qualitative approach comprising semi-structured interviews and focus groups was adopted to explore knowledge and experience of lifelong learning and the U3A. Sixty individuals aged 50+ were interviewed. The demographic profile of participants largely reflected the socio-economic make-up of the area, with the majority living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation. Several barriers to lifelong learning were revealed, including: poor health, insufficient transport and caring responsibilities. Regarding U3A participation, three exclusionary factors were outlined: lack of knowledge, organisational name and location. Poor comprehension of the purpose and remit of the U3A can result in the development of ‘middle-class' myths regarding membership, perpetuating poor participation rates among lower socio-economic groups. Such perceptions must be dispelled to allow the U3A to fulfil its potential as a highly inclusive organisation.

Spousal Intrusion as a Predictor of Wives' Marital Satisfaction in Their Spouses' Retirement

Retirement of men changes their roles and participation and affects their spouses' daily routines, roles, and participation. This study assessed the effects of spousal intrusion on marital satisfaction in retirement. Questionnaires assessing demographics, spousal intrusion, shared couple activities, feelings, and marital satisfaction were administered to a group of 151 volunteer women whose husbands were retired in two cities in Turkey. The women were recruited among those who were willing to share their feelings and thoughts about their husbands' retirement process as a result of one-on-one interviews. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the perception of spousal intrusion, education status, frequency of shared activities, and dyadic adjustment predicted women's marital satisfaction in retirement. However, spousal intrusion did not significantly predict women's marital satisfaction when dyadic adjustment was entered in the second model. In the third model, final variables together predicted 19% of women's marital satisfaction in their spouse's retirement. These findings are important as they underline the factors affecting women's marital satisfaction in their spouses' retirement period.

Brief Retirement Self-Efficacy-11 Scale (BRSE-11)

Retirement self-efficacy includes perceptions of the extent to which one will be capable of dealing with the tasks involved in the new retiree situation. This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Brief Retirement Self-Efficacy-11 Scale (BRSE-11) with Spanish workers aged below 62 ( N = 694) and tested these properties with Spanish workers aged over 62 ( N = 593). Method: We conducted descriptive analysis for the items and exploratory factor analysis with Sample 1 and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with Sample 2. Cronbach’s α and CFA were used to assess the internal consistency in both samples, and convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the RSE-11 were tested through relationships with general self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Results: Reliability values were adequate, and criterion and discriminant validity for the three factors of the BRSE-11 were supported. BRSE had a significant correlation with general self-efficacy. The three BRSE-11 factors increased the explained variance in life satisfaction after the introduction of general self-efficacy in the hierarchical regression analyses.

Improving retirement outcomes: the role of resources, pre-retirement planning and transition characteristics

Retirement is an inherently complex process due to the multitude of variables that influence it. The present article proposes that by combining our understanding of retirement phases (a conceptual framework) with a theory that specifies a general mechanism for retirement adaptation (a theoretical framework), we can improve how we research retirement. Accordingly, this study proposes and tests a model exploring the antecedents and consequences of the retirement process across three stages: Pre-retirement, Transition and Adaptation, using data collected from 550 Australian retirees. Multiple outcomes are explored, including adjustment, wellbeing and life satisfaction, as well as variables including planning, perception of wealth, resources and mastery. The model showed a significant influence of resources on both phases and outcomes, with mastery showing the strongest relationships of all the resources. Results suggest that outcomes in retirement may be improved by promoting retirement planning, improving exit conditions and building key resources, in particular, mastery. Overall, the model demonstrates the value of combining theory and conceptual frameworks to inform the specification of statistical models to research retirement. Research implications and alternative models are discussed.

Do Spouses Coordinate Their Work Exits? A Combined Survey and Register Analysis From Norway

Research on spouses’ joint work exits is scarce, although household factors such as spouses’ work status, marital quality, and caregiving burdens are likely to affect seniors’ work engagement. We therefore examine whether the work exit probability of one spouse affects that of the other. Discrete-time hazard regression analyses of survey data linked to later registry information including all gainfully employed married respondents aged 50–74 with a working spouse ( N = 1,764) were used to assess subsequent work exits. A spouse’s work exit is a strong predictor of a respondent’s work exit (hazard ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval [2.5, 4.0]). Educational attainment, poor marital quality, and spouses’ health and care needs do not predict work exits. Surprisingly, no gender differences are observed. Research on larger survey samples to distinguish different work exit routes and reasons for spouses’ joint work exits appears warranted. To account for cultural and welfare state characteristics, cross-national studies ought to be undertaken.

Missing Work After Retirement: The Role of Life Histories in the Retirement Adjustment Process

Purpose of the Study:

Although the process of adjustment to retirement is often assumed to be related to experiences earlier in life, quantitative empirical insights regarding these relationships are limited. This study aims to improve our understanding of adjustment to the loss of the work role, by conceptualizing retirement as a multidimensional process embedded in the individual life course.

Design and Methods:

Analyses are based on panel data collected in 2001, 2006–2007, and 2011 among Dutch retirees (N = 1,004). The extent to which retirees miss aspects of the work role (money/income, social contacts, status) is regressed on information about earlier life experiences, resources, and retirement transition characteristics.

Results:

The incidence of adjustment difficulties varies across dimensions. Predictors differ as well. A steep upward career path is associated with fewer financial adjustment difficulties but with more difficulties adjusting to the loss of status. Compared with continuously married retirees, divorced retirees without a partner are more likely to miss the social dimensions of work and those who repartnered are more likely to miss financial resources. The longer individuals are retired, the less likely they are to miss work-related social contacts.

Implications:

Changing life course experiences might have important consequences for retirement processes of future retirees.

How do couples influence each other's physical activity behaviours in retirement? An exploratory qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity patterns have been shown to change significantly across the transition to retirement. As most older adults approach retirement as part of a couple, a better understanding of how spousal pairs influence each other's physical activity behaviour in retirement may help inform more effective interventions to promote physical activity in older age. This qualitative study aimed to explore and describe how couples influence each other's physical activity behaviour in retirement.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study that used purposive sampling to recruit seven spousal pairs with at least one partner of each pair recruited from the existing EPIC-Norfolk study cohort in the east of England, aged between 63 and 70 years and recently retired (within 2-6 years). Semi-structured interviews with couples were performed, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using data-driven content analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: spousal attitude towards physical activity, spouses' physical activity behaviour and spousal support. While spouses' attitudes towards an active retirement were concordant, attitudes towards regular exercise diverged, were acquired across the life course and were not altered in the transition to retirement. Shared participation in physical activity was rare and regular exercise was largely an individual and independent habit. Spousal support was perceived as important for initiation and maintenance of regular exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions should aim to create supportive spousal environments for physical activity in which spouses encourage each other to pursue their preferred forms of physical activity; should address gender-specific needs and preferences, such as chances for socialising and relaxation for women and opportunities for personal challenges for men; and rather than solely focusing on promoting structured exercise, should also encourage everyday physical activity such as walking for transport.

Income decline and retiree well-being: the moderating role of attachment

Given that it influences the appraisal of situations and the utilization of coping resources, attachment orientation may condition the effects of retirement-related stressors on retiree well-being. Focusing on depression, psychosomatic complaints and health, as well as income decline as a retirement-related stressor, we followed a sample of workers from just before retirement to up to 7 years postretirement. Results indicate that attachment avoidance-but not anxiety-moderates the adverse effects of income decline on well-being, with such effects more pronounced among individuals reporting higher levels of attachment avoidance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Reciprocity between depressive symptoms and physical limitations pre- and postretirement: exploring racial differences

OBJECTIVE

This study assesses (a) the reciprocity between mental and physical health pre- and postretirement, and (b) the extent to which these associations vary by race.

METHOD

Data are from the 1994 to 2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS

Analyses based on structural equation modeling reveal that depression and physical health exert reciprocal effects for Whites pre- and postretirement. For Blacks preretirement, physical limitations predict changes in depression but there is no evidence of the reverse association. Further, the association between physical limitations and changes in depressive symptoms among Blacks is no longer significant after retirement.

DISCUSSION

The transition into retirement alleviates the translation of physical limitations into depressive symptoms for Blacks only. The findings underscore the relevance of retirement for reciprocity between mental and physical health and suggest that the health implications associated with this life course transition vary by race.