Quality of life in aging process: the role of work-related psychosocial conditions and social support

Abstract

Aging has been a growing source of increased opportunities raised by longevity, but also a growing source of concern,particularly with regard to the mental health and the well-being of elderly people. As such, it is highly relevant to have a better understanding of the relationship between workplace related psychosocial factors and quality of life, not only among working population, but also among retired individuals.
 The main objective of this study is to better understand and characterize the relation between quality of life (QoL), work-related psychosocial conditions, and social support for both working and retired adults. Participants were 1.330, 62.2% of which female, with ages ranging between 55 and 75 years old. 47% of the respondents were working and 46 % were retired. Three structural equation models were tested, using the total sample and by labor situation (working and retired). The results showed that the stress management (with a greater effect in retired participants) and the social support (with a greater effect in working participants) have a positive influence on the QoL factor. Better work-related psychosocial conditions and higher social support were predictors of higher/better QoL. Our study allowed us to conclude that QoL is influenced by working situation, social support and work-related psychosocial conditions. This is a powerful message to policy makers in view of the growth of older populations.