Continued social participation protects against depressive symptoms across the retirement transition: Longitudinal evidence from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey

Abstract

Aim: Social participation is an important social resource over retirement, but little is known about how changing social participation might affect mental health over retirement. This study examined the impact of retirement status, changes in social participation and their interactions on subsequent depressive symptoms over a 4‐year period.

Methods: Data were obtained from the first three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. The analytical sample included 2364 individuals with different retirement statuses (remained retired, transitioned to retirement, remained working). Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the impact of retirement status, changes in social participation and their interactions on depressive symptoms.

Results: Compared with those who remained working, individuals who remained retired reported reduced depressive symptoms (β = −0.64, 95% CI −1.23 to −0.05); individuals who transitioned to retirement reported elevated depressive symptoms (β = 0.74, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.41). Relative to those who reported no participation over the study, individuals who maintained or increased social participation reported reduced depressive symptoms (β = −1.12, 95% CI −1.67 to −0.56; β = −1.03, 95% CI −1.90 to −0.17); individuals who decreased social participation reported elevated depressive symptoms (β = 0.70, 95% CI 0.13–1.28). Individuals with decreased social participation were more influenced by the negative impact of transition to retirement on depressive symptoms (β = 1.93, 95% CI 0.12–3.74).

Conclusion: These results highlighted the time‐varying effects of retirement on mental health, and continued social participation acting as an adaptive strategy to protect against depressive symptoms over time. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 972–976.