[Distinct forms of entering retirement and their relationship with psychological health].

INTRODUCTION

Due to a series of factors such as working conditions, economic position and health status, retirement does not necessarily occur at the age of 65 years, thus generating new types of retirement.

OBJECTIVES

To study the possible relationship between retirement types and psychological health indicators, i.e. depression, anxiety and life satisfaction and to analyze perceptions and feelings about the change produced as a result of retirement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 119 retired persons (68.1% men, 31.9% women) participated in this study. The mean age was 66.5 years. Participants were interviewed individually. The instruments used were the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, an ad hoc interview, in which sociodemographic data and information on retirement were gathered, the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Life Satisfaction Scale, and lastly, the COOP-WONCA Health-Related Quality of Life Scale.

RESULTS

Participants who retired due to illness had higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower life satisfaction than persons retiring for other reasons. The ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences (p<.001) only in life satisfaction. After the corresponding regression analysis was performed on this variable, a statistically significant model was found that grouped together four predictive variables: anxiety (p<.001), depression (p<.001), income bracket (p<.001) and physical status (p<.05). These variables explained 46% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

In line with other studies, the present study found that retirement is not associated with depression, although retirement due to illness is associated with poorer psychological health. The results on life satisfaction support the idea that retirement is no longer a homogeneous event. Retirement type does not appear to be a major predictor of life satisfaction.