Gender differences in the impact of retirement on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults: A propensity score matching approach

Abstract

Background Retirement is one of the most important later-life status transitions related to changes in workforce participation, lifestyle, and social roles among older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of retirement on depressive symptoms by gender in middle-aged and older adult Koreans, using a large, nationally representative sample. Methods Using year 2010 and 2012 data from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging, we investigated the relationship between adults’ retirement status and depressive symptoms measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression (CES-D10) scale. A series of propensity score matching models were calculated to test the potential retirement effect on adults’ depressive symptoms. Results Overall, the level of depressive symptoms of the retired group was not different from that of the employed counterpart. In gender-stratified models, the gain of CES-D10 scores in the retired group was higher than that of the employed group for males, which was in the opposite direction among females. However, the propensity score matching model showed that the relationship between retirement status and CES-D10 score gain was significant for males but not for females. Conclusions Our study reinforces the assertion that retirement could worsen depressive symptoms and could differ by gender. Intervention programs focused on the mental health of retired men need to be actively developed and widely implemented.

Mediating Effects of Family Stress on the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Midlife Crisis in Middle-Aged Men

“…In European countries, an individual's early retirement increases their level of satisfaction or well-being [46]. However, when middle-aged men in South Korea face an early retirement and they have not prepared a stable postretirement life, it exposes them to financial difficulties, physical illnesses, and various sources of stress [47,48]. It is considered that such situations increase the levels of dissatisfaction that employed middle-aged men experience in the workplace.…”

“…Our participants would be exposed to the stress of a midlife crisis due to potential future challenges and the instability of their current employment, which leads to a loss of vitality. Social, financial, and family crises in middle adulthood can trigger mental problems, such as depression, as well as physical illnesses, thereby hindering a stable postretirement life [14,48]. Because this study only examined midlife crises, subsequent studies should also investigate mental problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) and physical illnesses in middle-aged men.…”

Motivation and sensitivity to monetary reward in late-life insomnia: moderating role of sex and the inflammatory marker CRP

“…While speculative, the heightened salience of monetary reward for males in the current study may also be linked to key developmental transitions in aging. Retirement can increase risk for depression [44], with older males at elevated risk [45], possibly due to new challenges to self-worth, self-efficacy, and productivity that can be intertwined with monetary reward and perceived masculinity. Indeed, financial and occupational stressors have been shown to predict depression in males, whereas interpersonal social stressors predict depression in females [46].…”

Shared Reading as Mental Health Promotion Among Newly Retired Men: Design of a feasibility study

“…These findings demonstrate the need to address men's life transitions in health-promoting interventions (Noh et al, 2019) and to explore how to introduce positive changes to retired men's mental health and wellbeing (Robertson & Williamson, 2005). So far, only a few studies have examined how to promote mental health among this specific social group.…”

“…Some studies have found that men, in particular, are at risk of negative health effects such as loneliness, depressive symptoms, reduced quality of life and self-rated health as a result of retirement (Heaven et al, 2013;Johannesen, Davidsen & Christensen, 2019;Noh, Kwon, Lee, Oh & Kim, 2019;Vo et al, 2015). As retirement progresses, men report a significant increase in depressive symptoms, suggesting that retirement is a potential contributor to men's depression in later life.…”