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Mental health and the timing of Men’s retirement

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Abstract

Background

Analysis of the Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Great Britain showed that the prevalence of common mental disorders was lower amongst men at or above Britain’s state pension age of 65, relative to younger men. Retirees below this age had consistently higher rates of mental disorders than working men. In contrast, the low prevalence of mental disorders amongst retirees aged 65 and older was similar to that of their working peers. The aim of this analysis was to investigate this pattern of results in a national sample of Australian men, and the mediating role of socio-demographic factors.

Method

Data were from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) in Australia survey (2003). The analyses included men aged 45–74 years who were active in the labour force (n = 1309), or retired (n = 635). Mental health was assessed using the mental health scale from the Short-Form 36 Health Questionnaire.

Results

Retirees were more likely to have mental health problems than their working peers, however this difference was progressively smaller across age groups. For retirees above, though not below, the age of 55 this difference was explained by poorer physical functioning. When age at retirement was considered it was found that early retirees who were now at or approaching the conventional retirement age did not display the substantially elevated rates of mental health problems seen in their younger counterparts. Further, men who had retired at age 60 or older did not display an initially elevated rate of mental health problems.

Conclusions

The association between retirement and mental health varies across older adulthood. Retired British and Australian men below the conventional retirement age of 65 are more likely to have mental health problems relative to their working peers, and retirees above this age. However, poor mental health appears to be linked to being retired below this age rather than an enduring characteristic of those who retire early.

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Notes

  1. These estimates are consistent with recent economic reviews, which report that additional social security benefits, such as disability (known in Britain as invalidity), mature-age, and unemployment allowances, may act as an avenue to early retirement for discouraged job-seekers, and older adults with poor health [8, 11].

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Acknowledgements

The HILDA survey was initiated and is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) and is managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (MIAESR). The findings and views reported in this paper, however, are those of the authors and should not be attributed to either FaCS or the MIAESR. Sarah Gill was supported by NHMRC Public Health Postgraduate Scholarship No. 316982. Peter Butterworth was supported by NHMRC Public Health (Australia) Fellowship No. 316970. Bryan Rodgers was supported by NHMRC Research Fellowship No. 148948. Kaarin Anstey was supported by NHMRC Research Fellowship No. 179839.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Mental Health Research, Bldg 63, Eggleston Rd, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 0200

    Sarah C. Gill, Peter Butterworth & Kaarin J. Anstey

  2. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Bryan Rodgers

  3. Epidemiology for Policy Group Dept. of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Elena Villamil

  4. Epidemiology and Public Health Group Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    David Melzer

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  1. Sarah C. Gill
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  2. Peter Butterworth
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  4. Kaarin J. Anstey
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  5. Elena Villamil
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  6. David Melzer
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Correspondence to Sarah C. Gill.

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Gill, S.C., Butterworth, P., Rodgers, B. et al. Mental health and the timing of Men’s retirement. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 515–522 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0064-0

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