Abstract
BackgroundIn Australia, it is projected that one in four individuals will be at the nominal retirement age of 65 or over by 2056; this effect is expected to be especially pronounced in rural areas. Previous findings on the effects of retirement on wellbeing have been mixed. The present study explores the effects of employment and retirement on health and wellbeing among a sample of rural Australians.MethodsAustralian Rural Mental Health Study participants who were aged 45 or over (N = 2013) were included in a series of analyses to compare the health and wellbeing of individuals with differing employment and retirement circumstances. Self-reported outcome variables included perceived physical health and everyday functioning, financial wellbeing, mental health, relationships, and satisfaction with life.ResultsAcross the outcomes, participants who were employed or retired generally reported better health and wellbeing than those not in the workforce. Retired participants rated more highly than employed participants on mental health, relationships, and satisfaction with life. There was also a short-term benefit for perceived financial status for retired participants compared to employed participants, but this effect diminished over time.ConclusionsWhile retirement is a significant life transition that may affect multiple facets of an individual’s life, the direction and magnitude of these effects vary depending on the retirement context, namely the pre-retirement and concurrent circumstances within which an individual is retiring. Personal perceptions of status changes may also contribute to an individual’s wellbeing more so than objective factors such as income. Policies that promote rural work/retirement opportunities and diversity and address rural disadvantage are needed.
Highlights
In Australia, it is projected that one in four individuals will be at the nominal retirement age of 65 or over by 2056; this effect is expected to be especially pronounced in rural areas
Considering the diverse contextual factors which may affect employment and retirement within rural areas, and the different domains of wellbeing in the postretirement phase, the current analysis aims to build on previous research by exploring the effects of employment and retirement amongst a longitudinal cohort of rural Australians
The above caveats notwithstanding, our results suggest that the context of retirement is important, and its effects on health and wellbeing differ depending on preretirement circumstances
Summary
In Australia, it is projected that one in four individuals will be at the nominal retirement age of 65 or over by 2056; this effect is expected to be especially pronounced in rural areas. In Australia and internationally, the population structure is changing, with the proportion of individuals aged 65 and over projected to be the highest in recorded history in coming years [1] This phenomenon will be among the most significant social transformations of the Handley et al BMC Public Health (2021) 21:888 expected to be especially pronounced in regional and remote areas [5]; understanding the key associations between retirement and health and wellbeing in these locations is likely to be increasingly important, given the relative absence of existing research. Retirement may be influenced by different factors to those associated with leaving the workforce at 65, and contribute to role uncertainty related psychological discomfort, at least in the medium term [16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
