Adjustment to Retirement

Abstract

Retirement is an important life course event that marks the start of a new life stage in which work is no longer dominant. Thus, employees have to adjust to the significant life changes that accompany the transition and seek to achieve psychological comfort with their retirement life. This entry provides an overview of theoretical and empirical research on the retirement adjustment process, as well as the changes that have occurred in the socioeconomic and policy context of retirement. Given that there exists considerable variety in conceptualizations, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies in this literature, it is difficult to directly compare results across studies. However, some general conclusion can be drawn. First, the adjustment process is not uniform: Retirement may have greater impact on some individuals than on others. Second, a lack of agency (i.e., personal control) is among the most powerful predictors of adjustment problems.