Associations between mental health status and labor force transitions in China: A longitudinal study between agricultural and nonagricultural sectors.

Abstract

No consensus has been reached on the relationship between retirement and mental health, and limited information is available on retirement and mental health in developing countries. This study investigated the associations between short-term changes in mental health status and labor force transitions (retirement and reemployment) in both the agricultural and nonagricultural sectors in China. This study used nationally representative panel data from three waves (2011, 2015, and 2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study on workers and retirees aged 40-70 years in China. The latent change score (LCS) model was employed. The transition from nonagricultural and agricultural sectors to retirement significantly increased the changes in the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D-10) score. Reentering the nonagricultural sectors significantly decreased the changes in the CES-D-10 score, whereas reentering the agricultural sectors had no impact on the changes in the CES-D-10 score. Stronger associations were identified among male workers, while the associations were weaker and less significant for female workers. Findings are consistent with the resource-based dynamic theory and extends the work in developing country by showing the mental health status worsens after retirement transitions and improves after reentering the workforce, especially for nonagricultural male workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).