Retirement, Pensions, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in China, England, Mexico, and the United States

Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2021 Jan;92(1):40-64. doi: 10.1177/0091415019868227. Epub 2019 Aug 13.

Abstract

This study explores the associations of retirement, and of public and private pensions, with older adults' depressive symptoms by comparing differences between countries and age groups. Harmonized data were analyzed from the family of Health and Retirement Study in 2012-2013 from China, England, Mexico, and the United States (n = 97,978). Respondents were asked if they were retired and received public or private pensions. Depressive symptom was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Retirement was significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms for the United States and with lower depressive symptoms for Mexico and England. Public pension was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms for Mexico and with higher depressive symptoms for the United States and China. Private pension was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms for the United States, China, and England. Our study shows that continuity theory demonstrates cross-national variation in explaining the association between retirement and depressive symptoms.

Keywords: continuity theory; cross-national comparison; depressive symptoms; pension; retirement.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • China / epidemiology
  • Depression / epidemiology*
  • England / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Pensions* / statistics & numerical data
  • Private Sector / economics
  • Private Sector / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Public Sector / economics
  • Public Sector / statistics & numerical data
  • Regression Analysis
  • Retirement / economics
  • Retirement / psychology*
  • Retirement / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology