[Effect of retirement on mental health and social well-being among elderly Japanese].
Based on a longitudinal study of a national representative sample aged 60 and over, we examined the impact of retirement on mental health and social well-being among elderly Japanese. From the baseline interviewees, we selected 178 study subjects who were full-time workers employed at least five days per week for at least six hours per day. At a follow-up survey three years after baseline, 34 had retired from their jobs and the rest still continued working. Mental health was rated from an aspect of depression, using a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Social well-being was measured by two indicators: the degree of social participation and the frequency of meeting friends or neighbors. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the effect of retirement on mental health and social well-being, controlling for baseline health characteristics. Results showed there was no significant effect of retirement on either mental health or the degree of social participation. On the frequency of social contacts with friends or neighbors, however, the retirement x sex x age interaction contributed a significant effect. Early retirement among elderly men tended to decrease the frequency of social contrasts. This finding suggests that an extra-workplace social relationship should be recommended especially to middle-aged working men to prevent them from falling into social isolation after retirement.
Sugisawa
A
A
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.
Sugisawa
H
H
Nakatani
Y
Y
Shibata
H
H
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement