AGING-RELATED CHANGES IN MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND COGNITIVE HEALTH: THE IMPACT OF THE RETIREMENT TRANSITION
Abstract Retirement is an important transition in later life, associated with changes in social roles. It is unclear, however, whether the retirement transition modifies aging-related changes in mental, physical, and cognitive health. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined changes in depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and memory prior to, at, and after the retirement transition among 6,830 participants (Ages=50-97, 58% female) assessed biennially up to 10 times from 1992-2010. Preliminary results indicate a sudden and significant increase in depressive symptoms and decreases in self-rated health and memory at the transition to retirement (ps<.05). These effects increased among individuals retiring at older ages (ps<.01). Further, aging-related increases in depressive symptomatology became faster after retirement (p<.01). Aging-related decreases in self-rated health and memory were unchanged by the transition. Discussion will focus on the contribution of transitions to understanding trajectories of mental, physical, and cognitive health in later life.