Psychological Distress During the Retirement Transition and the Role of Psychosocial Working Conditions and Social Living Environment

Mirkka Lahdenperä, Marianna Virtanen, Saana Myllyntausta, Jaana Pentti, Jussi Vahtera and Sari Stenholm

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2022, vol. 77, issue 1, 135-148

Abstract: ObjectivesMental health is determined by social, biological, and cultural factors and is sensitive to life transitions. We examine how psychosocial working conditions, social living environment, and cumulative risk factors are associated with mental health changes during the retirement transition.MethodWe use data from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study on public sector employees (n = 3,338) retiring between 2014 and 2019 in Finland. Psychological distress was measured with the General Health Questionnaire annually before and after retirement and psychosocial working conditions, social living environment, and accumulation of risk factors at the study wave prior to retirement.ResultsPsychological distress decreased during the retirement transition, but the magnitude of the change was dependent on the contexts individuals retire from. Psychological distress was higher among those from poorer psychosocial working conditions (high job demands, low decision authority, job strain), poorer social living environment (low neighborhood social cohesion, small social network), and more cumulative risk factors (work/social/both). During the retirement transition, greatest reductions in psychological distress were observed among those with poorer conditions (work: absolute and relative changes, p [Group × Time interactions]

Keywords: Life event; Mental well-being; Pensioners; Social capital; Transitional period (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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