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Saved by retirement: Beyond the mean effect on mental health

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  • Kolodziej, Ingo W.K.
  • García-Gómez, Pilar

Abstract

We analyze the causal effect of retirement on mental health, exploiting differences in retirement eligibility ages across countries and over time using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. We estimate not only average effects, but also use distributional regression to examine whether these effects are unequally distributed across the mental health distribution. We find unequally distributed protective effects of retirement on mental health. These gains are larger among those just below and above the clinically defined threshold of being at risk of depression. The preserving effects are larger for women and blue collar workers. Our results suggest that the magnitude of the protective effect is independent of the availability of family support.

Suggested Citation

  • Kolodziej, Ingo W.K. & García-Gómez, Pilar, 2019. "Saved by retirement: Beyond the mean effect on mental health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 85-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:225:y:2019:i:c:p:85-97
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.02.003
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    6. Kuusi, T. & Martikainen, P. & Valkonen, T., 2020. "The influence of old-age retirement on health: Causal evidence from the Finnish register data," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
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    8. Yuanrong Xu, 2023. "The effect of retirement on health and mortality in the United States," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 1-22, June.
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    10. Kolodziej, Ingo & Coe, Norma B. & Van Houtven, Courtney Harold, 2023. "Intensive informal care and impairments in work productivity and activity," Ruhr Economic Papers 1010, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
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    13. van Ours, Jan C., 2020. "What a drag it is getting old? Mental health and loneliness beyond age 50," CEPR Discussion Papers 15438, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Retirement; Mental health; Distributional regression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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