title: Socioeconomic and psychosocial adversity in midlife and depressive symptoms post retirement: a 21-year follow-up of the Whitehall II study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether socioeconomic and psychosocial adversity in midlife predicts post-retirement depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study of British civil servants who responded to a self-administered questionnaire in middle-age and at older ages, 21 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of 3,939 Whitehall II Study participants (2,789 men, 1,150 women; mean age 67.6 years at follow-up) who were employed at baseline and retired at follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Midlife adversity was assessed by self-reported socioeconomic adversity (low occupational position; poor standard of living) and psychosocial adversity (high job strain; few close relationships). Symptoms of depression post-retirement were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for sociodemographic and health-related covariates at baseline and follow-up, there were strong associations between midlife adversities and post-retirement depressive symptoms: low occupational position (odds ratio [OR]: 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.51), poor standard of living (OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.66-3.39), high job strain (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.09-2.14), and few close relationships (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.12-2.03). The strength of the associations between socioeconomic, psychosocial, work-related, or non-work related exposures and depressive symptoms was similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robust associations from observational data suggest that several socioeconomic and psychosocial risk factors for symptoms of depression post-retirement can be detected already in midlife.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: marianna.virtanen@ttl.fi.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Community and Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ferrie
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elovainio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jokela
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vahtera
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom; Inserm U1018, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Archana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh-Manoux
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom; Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivimäki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Depression; elderly; inequalities; life course; mood disorders; old age; prospective; stress